A Fairy Tale
by CreativeReading
Summary: Sookie Stackhouse is called in to interrogate a prisoner of S.H.I.E.L.D after the Battle of New York. What she finds out ends up changing her life and proving that fairy tales do come true.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note- The standard disclaimer applies. I own nothing from Marvel, the True Blood books or T.V. show. Although this story is rated T, it should probably be K+ for the vast majority of it.**

Ch. 1

The night was cool, but not cold. It was that delicious weather of early fall, when the days were warm, but no longer humid and hot and night cooled down enough to throw an extra blanket on the bed. The summers in Louisiana can be hot and sticky and there was something about that first truly cool night of fall that seemed like a reward for making it through the season.

I was outside of my house, waiting for the taxi. Eric sat next to me on my porch swing. Sitting, we didn't look so mismatched. But when he stood, I could easily tuck my head under his chin.

I allowed myself the comfort of leaning my head against his shoulder. I could have stayed there all night.

"I don't like the fact you're leaving, Sookie."

"I don't much like it myself, but I don't see as though I have any choice in the matter," I said. He was my on again, off again sweetie. We were off at the moment, but who knew how long that would last? Still, I knew he cared for me and wasn't happy about me being hauled away in the middle of the night.

I unfortunately had somehow made it on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar as a possible asset. It was bad enough that I constantly got called into vampire and other supe problems, now I had S.H.I.E.L.D dragging me across the country every few months to interrogate potential threats. However, I was able to negotiate a fairly sweet deal, as I was paid in advance for each interrogation which is more than I can say for the majority of my interactions with vampires. My official title was "consultant", which was a vague way of explaining what I did.

I tried to smile for Eric's sake. This interrogation was something big and I had been offered twice my usual rate to come on such short notice. After this job, I'd be able to cover this year's property taxes as well as get a new roof before the rainy season.

"Both Bill and Bubba said that they'd watch over the place. My shifts at the bar are covered for the rest of the week. I'll be fine, Eric."

Bill was my first real boyfriend, my nearest neighbor, and a vampire like Eric. And like Eric, he still cared for me and looked out for me even though we weren't together anymore. Bubba used to be very famous when he was still alive and a rabid fan brought him over when he came to the hospital when his heart gave out in the late 70s. For a vampire, he was very mellow, although he had a penchant for eating the neighbor's cats and didn't always seem to be all there. He was fine, though, as long as you didn't call him by his old name or try to get him to sing.

"After what just happened in New York, I don't like the idea of you getting involved in any military operation," Eric frowned down at me.

I shrugged. We could pretend that I had the option to refuse, but we both knew that I was going. Whether I wanted to or not.

0000000

The pattern was always the same for these assignments. A taxi would meet me at my front porch. A plane would be waiting for me in Shreveport with a pilot that knew only our final destination. Upon arrival, a second taxi would whisk me to whatever horrible dank cell they were keeping the prisoner in. The driver, who was always completely clueless about who I was or what I did, would hand me a packet of information along with the questions I was to ask. After writing down the information, I would hand it to the next taxi driver upon my departure.

There was a reason for this wall of separation between me and my handlers. That movie, _Serenity,_ had it right. You never want to put people with sensitive information in a room with a psychic. Or a telepath.

**A/N- The canon from True Blood has been modified to suit the story. Bubba, a character from the books, is included because he is just that fun to have in the story, if only tangentially.**


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

We arrived in New York after 3 hours. I was tired and sore and not looking forward to this. I fiddled with my "interrogation" outfit. I wore comfortable black pants, a white button down shirt and a pair of black flats. I had actually gone out and bought the outfit for this express purpose. Most of my clothes consisted of Merlotte's T-shirts, shorts, and sundresses. None of which would work for interrogating known terrorists. I knew that I looked like an usher at a community theater, but this was the most professional job I had ever had and I was at a bit of a loss when it came to what to wear.

Instead of my usual taxi waiting near the tarmac, there was a sleek black sedan with tinted windows. The back seat driver's side door opened outwards and I slid in.

I looked for the driver through the opaque partition. There was no one.

"My name is JARVIS and I'll be taking you to your destination," a faintly cultured voice informed me.

"Who are you?" I asked, wondering if this was one of those self-driving cars. Bill was fascinated with technology and once spent 30 minutes going on and on about the lives that could be saved once humans allowed vehicles to "ferry them to every destination" as he put it.

"I am not at liberty to say, I'm afraid. There is a packet of information on the seat next to you. You have been tasked to read it fully before we arrive at our destination."

"How long will that be?"

"I calculate that with current traffic conditions we will arrive in approximately 42 minutes."

"Thanks," I said, feeling slightly silly for having a conversation with a Buick.

0000000000

I tried to read of the information in the packet before we got there, but, to be honest, the packet was very thick, the lighting was poor, and I get horrible motion sickness whenever I try to read in a car.

"We have arrived," the car told me unnecessarily as we stopped in front of a large warehouse that was probably meant to look abandoned.

"Give me a moment or two, I'm just finishing up."

At the end of the packet was a list of questions to ask the prisoner. There weren't too many this time. It just looked like some basic wrap-up questions since the immediate threat was over and the prisoner was set to be transferred back home tomorrow. Hopefully, this would be a quick interview and I could get to whatever cheap hotel S.H.I.E.L.D. decided to put me up in. For an organization with as many resources as they had, they were surprisingly penny pinching when it came to places to stay.

00000000

The huge empty expanse of the warehouse was surprising well lit. There was a large glass cell in the middle with a metal chair nearby. A lone figure was lying on some sort of raised bunk that didn't look very comfortable.

He looked fairly worse for wear. He had bruises on his face and, even in sleep, he looked haggard.

He shifted slightly and moaned quietly. I moved the chair to face the cell and his eyes flew open when he heard the scraping of the metal legs against the concrete floor.

"Will I never be allowed to rest in this infernal place?" he snarled as he rolled to his side and then slowly lifted himself to a standing position. His voice reminded me of a BBC newscaster I heard once, although there was a slight foreign tinge that I couldn't place.

That's when I finally got a good look at him and, frankly, I had to suppress a giggle.

This was the feared war criminal?

Even though he towered over me, he looked like a little kid dressed for Halloween. His clothes were black, green, and gold and consisted of an unusual assortment of leather and armor that came together at odd angles. The tunic came down in places to his mid calf. I had never seen such a ridiculous outfit in my entire life. If someone had ever come into Merlotte's wearing anything like that, he would have been laughed right out of the place.

Even the vampires, with their sometimes outlandish fashions, wouldn't be caught, well, dead in an outfit like that.

"Come to gloat? I am a thousand year old prince from Asgard and you are nothing but an insignificant tool of S.H.I.E.L.D."

I rolled my eyes. It was going to be one of those nights. "I've met people older and more unusual than you, so I'm sorry if I don't seem impressed."

"Oh, really? Name one," he snarled, lifting up his chin in challenge.

"A three thousand year old vampire," I replied as coolly as I could under the circumstances.

He cocked one eyebrow, "I'll grant you that one," he smiled, but it didn't quite reach his light green eyes.

"Listen, I just have a few quick questions and then you can go back to sleep. So the first question .. ." Flustered, I look down at my notes, "Let's see . . . .Do the Chitauri plan to invade earth again?" I began nervously.

"It's pronounced ChiTAURi, not CHItauri. Did they not even bother to properly prepare you for this interrogation?"

"Sorry, sorry," I offered. This is what comes of hastily reading over notes in the back of a moving car. "ChiTAURi?" I tried tentatively.

"Now, what makes you think I would ever tell you anything?" he sneered and looked down at me.

I nodded and diligently wrote as he went on and on about my poor, pathetic mortal self. He reminded me a bit of the older vampires and how they viewed humans.

However, unlike vampires, his mind was an open book to me. He had such a low opinion of humans in general that he didn't even bother trying to guard his thoughts. The packet had pointed out that he was skilled in magic, but it was obvious that he had no inkling that a human could read him. Although, since I wasn't completely human, he might have had a point.

So I took notes not on what he said, which consisted of various insults, thinly veiled threats as well as a surprising amount of innuendo, but rather on what his mind told me.

I learned that the Chitauri didn't have the means to enter this realm at the moment, but that their leader, Thanos, was bent on the destruction of all the realms and that Earth would most likely be invaded again some time in the future. I learned that there was something called a "Tesseract" connected to a scepter that controlled not only the actions of the humans under Loki's command during his time on Earth, but, also, to a certain extent, Loki, himself. It kind of reminded me of glamouring that vampires use to get humans to obey them.

But what really turned my stomach was the fact that Loki had been severely tortured and threatened by the Chitauri before even coming to Earth.

I'd been tortured before. I knew that the marks that it left were not strictly physical. I began to feel the stirrings of pity after delving into his mind.

"I am sorry for all that you have been through," I said quietly when I had finished all my assigned questions.

"Why would you be sorry? Have you not been listening to what I've said?" There was a short pause as a blinding smile engulfed his face. "You have not, have you? I see, you read my mind. Clever. It seems you are not entirely human after all."

I smiled tightly, not wanting to give away more information than I already had.

"What a useful skill to possess." He gave me a wolfish grin. "After this is all over, I may have to steal you."*

His mind closed to me all of a sudden and I felt as though I had been physically thrown out. I wasn't going to get any more useful information out of him.

"Well, I should be going."

"Until we meet again," he said, oozing oily charm, palms up in an imitation of sincerity and goodwill. "Miss….?"

He let the word hang, waiting for me to fill in the gap.

"Good bye," I said firmly. I got up abruptly and left as quickly as I could, knocking over the chair as I left.

"I shall be seeing you soon," his voice echoed behind me and I could almost feel his derisive laughter touch the small of my back as I scurried to the exit.

**Author's Note- *Bonus points if you get the reference.**


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

My cell phone rang. I didn't doze off until well past two a.m. and the cheap bedside alarm clock read 6:15 a.m. UGH! Who calls that early?

"What!" I yelled into my phone. My grandmother would have turned over in her grave to hear my rudeness, but my capacity for polite conversation required at least six hours of sleep.

"It's Director Fury. You know, the person who authorizes your paychecks? We are sending a car around in 15 minutes. Be dressed, packed, and ready to go."

That man had two volumes, loud and louder. My ear was ringing.

"Uh, okay. I'll be ready."

Fifteen minutes meant that I would have to forgo a shower if I wanted to be ready in time. I swept my hair into a relatively neat ponytail. The sun kissed blond highlights at the ends were beginning to fade. I made a mental note to sun bathe in my yard for the last few warm days of the season when I got home.

Since I had already worn my "interrogation" outfit, I was left with a pair of jeans and a white Merlotte's T-shirt. I had a bad feeling that I was going to be severely underdressed, but beggars can't be choosers.

000000

The same car as before was waiting patiently for me in the parking lot of the motel. I noticed that there was a small brown bag on the seat next to me. I hoped it wasn't more work.

"Good morning, JARVIS. Any info on why I am being dragged out of bed this early in the morning?"

"I am sorry, Miss Stackhouse. I do not possess that information for you. However, there is a cup of coffee in the cupholder and a bagel and cream cheese in the bag next to you."

The day wasn't starting out all bad. A real New York bagel was waiting for me. "I may just have to marry you, JARVIS."

00000

We arrived at Stark Tower in under 30 minutes. There were a lot of streets blocked off because of the devastation from the Chitauri invasion, but JARVIS was able to navigate them easily. There was rubble everywhere, hunks of concrete that had been wrenched off of buildings. Cars were twisted and malformed. Buildings were marked with soot and burn marks from alien weapons. It was one thing to see something like that on TV, but it was another to see it in person. My stomach rumbled and roiled and it had nothing to do with the coffee.

"You are to take the elevator to level 7 and go to conference room 6. Director Fury will be waiting for you," JARVIS informed me briskly.

"Thanks." Again, I felt silly thanking a machine, but anyone who brings me coffee and bagel deserved some kindness.

I slid out of the car and crossed the underground parking garage to the elevator doors. It felt a bit like being sent to the principal's office. I tried to review what I had done or said last night that warranted being brought in by my boss, especially since S.H.I.E.L.D. had taken such pains to keep me away from anyone with any possible knowledge of the inner workings of the organization. I was sure that they recorded my "session" with Loki and I wondered if saying that I felt sorry for him violated some sort of code of interrogation ethics. It's not like they gave me a handbook or anything.

After the short elevator ride that went by so fast my stomach lurched, I entered the luxurious hallway covered in thick pile carpet and made my way to the room marked 6. I knocked on the door and when there was no answer, I opened it. I sat down in an overstuffed black leather swivel chair and waited about 5 minutes, checking my phone for any texts. The door opened and a man I assumed was Director Fury strode in.

To be honest, he was one of the most imposing humans I had ever met. He was dressed in all black and had one eye covered with an eye patch with scars radiating from all sides of it. The first words he said to me were, "If you try to read my mind, Miss Stackhouse, or the mind of anyone else here, you will spend the rest of your days in a very, very small cell."

I nodded quickly. I had no desire to test his patience. I could tell he meant it.

All of a sudden, a mountain of a man careened into the room. He was wearing the same type of silly outfit that Loki wore, except that his colors were silver and red. He looked like a mix between a linebacker and an underwear model with muscles on top of muscles. I recognized him from the photos in the packet. He was Thor, Loki's adoptive brother.

"While I understand that he acted in a reprehensible manner, I cannot believe that you allowed my brother's mind to be violated in such a way," Thor bellowed. If I thought Director Fury was loud, Thor was deafening. I shrank a bit in my chair. While what I did was hardly benign, it made me shiver to think of it as a violation.

"Thor, I understand that you are upset, but you and your brother have had a chance to look over all the intel we collected. Miss Stackhouse has determined that your brother was not wholly responsible for his actions. He was brainwashed, just like our agents."

Thor visibly calmed down. "If I am to be honest, my brother was glad to hear that he was vindicated. Which is why we require her to stand witness."

"Stand witness?" I asked. I didn't want to spend any more time in New York than I had to. From what little I've seen from Court TV, big cases could take months to complete. I had no desire to be away from Bon Temps for so long. I scrambled to think of a way out of it.

After a moment, I decided that the direct approach would work best. "Hi, I'm Sookie Stackhouse, the consultant who questioned your brother last night. Unfortunately, American courts will hardly consider the testimony of a telepath. I'm sorry. I can't testify for your brother."

"The trial will not take place on Migard. You will relay your evidence to the All-Father himself on Asgard."

My stomach turned. Another planet. Great. How long would that take?

"I'm sorry, but I have a life here and I just can't up and leave for goodness knows how long."

"Lady Sookie, you have my word that the journey will not be long. With the Tesseract, we will arrive in Asgard almost immediately. In Asgard, the All-Father will listen to your evidence and return you back to Midgard quickly."

I looked at Fury with an incredulous glare. "This isn't part of my job."

"Consider it an expansion. We are eager to keep on good terms with Asgard. They are a strategic ally. We are not alone in the universe and we can't afford to piss off the one planet we know that has our back. You are going. End of discussion."

This wasn't the first time I'd been backed in a corner, but I still had one more play. "Fine, I want triple pay for each day I'm gone and a guarantee that I'll be back in Bon Temps in a week."

"We can cover the pay. As for the time deadline," Director Fury paused and shrugged, "Thor, will seven days be enough time?"

"Yes, yes," Thor beamed heartily. "I swear to you, Lady Sookie, you will be returned to your home by the agreed upon date."

"Alright, but you should know, I am only going to tell the truth. While you brother was heavily influenced by the Tesseract, he wasn't completely controlled by it like the other humans were."

"I understand, Lady Sookie, and I greatly appreciate your truthfulness in this matter." Thor was grinning from ear to ear and, even without reading his mind, I could tell how much he cared for his brother and how happy he was that Loki was not quite the villain he had feared.

"When do we leave?" I had hoped for a few days to get everything set up.

"Within the hour," Fury replied. "We've cleared out a portion of Central Park. The Avengers wanted to witness Loki being sent home."

So, I had less than an hour to leave the planet. I nodded slowly. "Let me get a hold of some friends and get everything set up if I'm going to be gone that long." Director Fury nodded and I started dialing everyone. I sent texts to Sam and Arlene to sort out my shifts at the bar for the rest of the week. I texted my brother, Jason, so he wouldn't worry.

It was still dark back home, so I called both Bill and Eric and told them that I was fine, but that I would have to stay at least a week longer than I had anticipated. With Bill, I coordinated all the mundane house sitting chores, making sure that the trash cans went out on the right day, that Bubba didn't wander next door and eat anyone's cat, that sort of thing.

"Are you sure that you don't need help?" Eric asked carefully when I called him. He could tell I wasn't happy about the situation, but I was stuck under layers of confidentiality agreements and vague threats. I looked over at Thor and Director Fury, deep in discussion. I did need help, but I didn't know what to ask for. I wondered if Eric knew anything about the Asgardians. They had come down to Earth a few times around the time that Eric was turned.

"I'll be fine. I'm sure I won't have cell coverage or wi-fi where we're going, so I'll just call you when I get back."

"I should have prevented you from leaving," he said darkly. Despite not being together at the moment, Eric still believed he had a claim over what happened to me.

"I know, believe me, I know. I'll be fine. See you soon. Love you." I tried to end on a positive note. And I meant it. I loved Eric even if I couldn't be with him.

"Was that your betrothed? I could have spoken to him and assured him that you would be well looked after." Thor looked at me earnestly after I hung up.

I didn't know he was eavesdropping. "No, Eric and I were together, but now, it's . . . complicated." I trailed off. I really didn't want to go into my twisted love life.

"Would he like to see you off? I know there should be some way to transmit the images to him. We could arrange that, could we not, Director Fury?"

"I don't think Miss Stackhouse's 'complicated' friend is available during daylight hours."

I looked over at Fury with narrowed eyes and my palms turned sweaty. It really didn't surprise me that I was being monitored so closely by them, but I felt uneasy that I had opened up my friends and loved ones to S.H.I.E.L.D's scrutiny. They consisted of any number of vampires, wereanimals, shifters and witches that I was sure that S.H.I.E.L.D. would want to exploit.

0000

My first trip to New York and I couldn't believe that I was already leaving. I was led by several men in black suits to a concrete clearing in Central Park near a lake. I could see the Avengers standing in a circle around Loki, Thor and the Tesseract. Loki was wearing a painful-looking muzzle and a pair of handcuffs with a chain that was far too long. I thought that it actually posed a hazard, but, when I pointed it out to Director Fury, he told me that they were Asgardian and had been enchanted to prevent Loki from using his magic.

Director Fury looked out at the assembled team. "Last night, Miss Stackhouse here, interviewed Loki using enhanced interrogation techniques. We found out that Loki was partially controlled by the Tesseract while attempting to take over this planet. We've given Thor permission to transport Miss Stackhouse to Asgard to testify on Loki's behalf. Thor has assured us that she will be returned in seven days."

It looked as though a few of them were about to protest, but I could see that they were mostly glad that Loki was leaving. The one they called the Black Widow whispered something into Hawkeye's ear and he chuckled. I felt at a loss. I didn't want to be here. And I have to admit, I cringed when Director Fury mentioned "enhanced interrogation techniques". It's not like a waterboarded the guy.

I moved towards the two brothers. "Before we turn the Tesseract in its case, make sure that you are holding onto it with both hands. That is the only way we can be assured that you will arrive safely," Thor warned me.

I nodded. I slung my black duffel bag up on my shoulder and grabbed a hold of the Tesseract' case. I wondered what it would feel like to travel to another planet. I was about to find out.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch. 4

When I was a child, I used to go on roller coasters with my friends whenever there was a nearby fair or carnival, because that is what you do when you are a kid. The problem was I hated it. Completely and utterly hated it with a purple passion. I don't know if it was my reoccurring motion sickness or the fact that I could read the fear in everyone else on the ride as it skittered over my skin. The terror was always amplified on the ride. It was the same reason that I didn't like horror movies.

I wasn't until I was fifteen that I had the courage to tell my friends that I didn't want to ever go on another roller coaster. To this day, it still stands as one of the best decisions I have ever made. Traveling via the Tesseract was a thousand times worse than a roller coaster. When we landed, I fell with a grunt and immediately left the contents of my breakfast on the ground. There's nothing better than vomiting in front of royalty.

"Are you alright, Lady Sookie?" Thor bent down, hovering over me.

"Yeah, sure, give me a moment to get my sea legs."

Thor nodded and turned to take the muzzle off of Loki. He left the enchanted "handcuffs" on. I looked around and it took my breath away a bit. I had been to the fairy realm, so I was used to otherworldly beauty. There was a huge difference, though. In the fairy realm, everything was soft, intimate and delicate. Even the air seemed to blur the edges of reality and everyone walked around with a 1960s Star Trek soft focus glow about them. Asgard was golden, soaring and impressive. Everything seemed overwhelming. I could see an amazing glimmering palace in the distance. I guessed that it is where we were headed.

We waited there for a few minutes, silent and caught up in our own thoughts, until a contingent of guards rode out to meet us. They brought a few extra horses with them. I liked the idea of riding a horse even less than a roller coaster.

"Is that the only way to get to the castle? Couldn't we just walk?" I knew I was whining, but I really don't do well on horses.

"People on Earth still ride horses. Even when it is not necessary for transportation, many still find it a pleasure." insisted Thor.

"There are people on Earth who make their own soap for fun. I am not one of those people."

"You may ride with me. After your trying journey, you may find it more restful." Loki offered to help me on his horse. At first, I thought about refusing, but to be honest, I knew I couldn't ride by myself and walking was out of the question. He easily lifted me up and settled me in front of him, his arms encircling me while he gripped the reins. I was a bit uncomfortable at the intimacy of our embrace, however, I was actually impressed that he was about to ride so well with his hands bound together.

00000

When we arrived at the castle, we were ushered into a large chamber with the guards. Again, the best word for the place was soaring. I idlely thought about how much work it must be just to keep the ceiling free from cobwebs. In the middle of the chamber, a beautiful older woman, radiating concern and happiness, rushed forward to hug both brothers.

"My sons, you do not know how happy I am that you are both back safely. And you must be Lady Sookie. I am Queen Frigga. I cannot tell you how much it means to me that you have traveled from so far to stand witness for my son."

"Thank you, your majesty." I tried to curtsy, but I was still a little woozy. I almost fell, but Loki reached out and steadied me.

"Loki, my dear son, unfortunately, your father has required that you stay in your chambers under guard and under enchantment until the inquiry has been completed."

Although Loki flinched at the word "father", he smiled at his mother. "I understand."

"Lady Sookie, I will have Thor show you to your quarters so that you can get refreshed and then, perhaps, you can meet Loki in his room later to go over your testimony?"

"Yes, that sounds great, thank you." Then, I realized that Loki was still holding onto my side. I turned and flashed him a quick smile that was meant to convey my thanks before heading towards the door with Thor. Loki looked a bit confused, but granted me a small half smile.

00000

Once we arrived at my room, Thor turned to me, "Lady Sookie, I want to thank you again for agreeing to testify on my brother's behalf. He has had a hard time lately; finding out he was adopted was a blow to him and set him on a dark path. Knowing that others have twisted him for their own purposes has broken my heart."

"Thor, I understand, I really do. Let me tell you something. I have a brother, Jason. He's always been in some sort of trouble or another. Then, a while back, he was accused of a horrible crime and sent to jail. Luckily, he was freed and the real murderer was found. But when Jason was in jail, it nearly killed me. So, please believe me when I say that I know what it is like to have your brother falsely accused. I will do all that I can to make sure that your brother doesn't pay for someone else's crimes."

I took a deep breath. I hadn't meant to share all of that.

"You are truly a good soul, Lady Sookie. I am in your debt. Please rest and I will make sure that a servant comes to attend you shortly."

With that, he bent down, took my hand and kissed it. I have to admit, I nearly swooned. How often do you get kissed by a prince? If I hadn't read in my handy, dandy packet that he had some sort of relationship already with a lady out in New Mexico, I definitely would have let a crush start right there and then.

As it was, my most pressing concern was finding something to wear that wasn't flecked in vomit.

00000

The room was golden, just like the rest of the palace. The floor, walls and ceilings were white marble. The floor was covered with thick, plush rugs which had designs seemed almost Celtic. The walls had gold silk hangings and tapestries whose designs matched the rugs. The bed was enormous and I wondered how many people could fit on it. Five, eight, ten? Who knew? There were thick blankets and a covering that looked like a golden silk bedspread. There was a fireplace with a small fire going in the middle of the room and an honest to goodness bearskin rug in front of it. On further inspection, it wasn't a bear, but some other large creature with thick, soft, golden fur.

I was a bit overwhelmed. My grandmother's house at home was not small by any means, but it was definitely not opulent. It tended to be more on the homey side.

I plopped my duffel bag on the bed and lied down.

After a few minutes, there was a knock at the door. "May I come in?" a voice asked tentatively.

"Oh, yeah sure." I stood up, feeling silly that I got caught napping.

A young woman, in her late teens or early twenties, came through the door. From her manner, I could tell that she was one of the maids. She smiled at me and set a beautiful dress with a full olive green silk skirt with a black corset for the bodice on the bed.

"I am not wearing that."

"But," she paused, twisting her hands together in concern, "Queen Frigga expressly chose these clothes."

"Well, maybe tomorrow for the trial, but not today. I just want to be comfortable. I will just wear my other outfit."

Corsets can be tricky. If you are at all curvy by nature, corsets can make you like an actress from an "adult" movie. While it's a great look for a Halloween costume, it's not what I wanted to wear while spending one on one time with Loki.

"Alright, milady. Let me draw you a bath. After you bathe, I can bring you some supper."

I guessed that we either lost a few hours traveling via the Tesseract or that Asgard was in another time zone. It felt like it was supposed to be around 11 in the morning, but clearly it was almost night here.

The bath was heavenly. There was something sweet and spicy in the water, a smell that I couldn't quite pin down. After I got out, Hilla, the maid, insisted on brushing out my hair. She visibly stiffened as I put on my "interrogation" outfit, but didn't say anything. I ate an incredible meal of some type of stew, bread and an amazing pastry with nuts and honey in it. Hilla had brought me some mead, but I didn't want to be buzzed if I had to deal with Loki. I just sipped some water and tried to get up enough courage to go and face him.

00000

Hilla walked me to Loki's room so I wouldn't get lost. Two guards stood on either side of the doorway wearing enormous helmets.

"This is Lady Sookie; she has permission from King Odin to enter Prince Loki's chamber to discuss tomorrow's inquiry."

One of the guards nodded and opened the door. I made the mistake of listening to his mind. He thought that I was being sent to Loki's room to provide the Prince with "entertainment". I stiffened and slapped his face.

"You know why I did that!" I spat at him as he grabbed the sword at his belt. Then, he looked down, momentarily ashamed and let me in the room.

Loki's room was incredibly huge and made mine look like a closet. It was lined with bookshelves and I couldn't even begin to count how many books there were.

"Why are you wearing that ridiculous outfit?" Loki demanded as I entered his room. He was still wearing those silly enchanted manacles and the chain clanked together as he waved at what I was wearing.

"Well, my other clothes were dirty," I said, intentionally misunderstanding his question. This was not starting off well. This was the first time that we had been alone since the interrogation and I was more than a little unsettled about being there with him.

"No, I mean, were you not given proper clothes to wear?"

"Yes, but they were too complicated." I didn't feel comfortable giving him the real reason.

At his raised eyebrow, I elaborated, "Have you ever tried putting on a corset?"

When he didn't say anything, I forged ahead with the lie. "Well, until you do, you have no idea how difficult it can be."

"If you require assistance with dressing properly, it would be my pleasure to help you."

While the words seemed polite and kind, his emphasis on the word pleasure and the suggestive smirk gave his comment a lewd undertone.

"No, that isn't what I meant. I'll be fine." I backed away slightly.

"Relax, it was merely a jest. I'll inform one of the maids to attend you so that you may be properly dressed for tomorrow's judgment."

"Thanks?" I said tentatively. I didn't really know how to act around him. My encounters with otherworldly royalty had almost always gone badly in the past.

"Before we start, I wanted to let you know that I spoke with Thor and he informed me of your brother's past misfortune."

I colored. For some reason, I didn't like the idea of Loki knowing about that part of Jason's past.

"I was gladdened to know that you are not entirely unsympathetic to my plight," he said with a tight smile. "However, we should go over your testimony before the inquiry. First, where do your powers come from? You are not entirely human."

"My great-grandfather is fae."

"That would explain it. Who is he?

"Loki, I'd really rather not say."

"Sookie, you will need to answer all of Odin's questions. Your testimony is the only thing that may save me from execution. If you are not completely forthcoming, he will assume that you are lying."

"Fine," I huffed. "My great-grandfather's name is Niall."

"Niall, King of the Fairies?'

"Yes." I nodded.

"So, you are of royal blood?"

"Well, you have to go back a few generations, but I guess so, yes." I hoped that ended our conversation about the fairies. I felt unsure about giving away so many of my family secrets to a stranger.

"And how did you become associated with vampires?"

Ugh. I could tell that I wasn't going to like this line of questioning.

"They've been around for a long time on Earth and they recently became public."

"I see. And what is your personal association with them?"

"My first boyfriend was a vampire."

"Really? I see. This was the 3,000 year old vampire?" His eyes narrowed and I was starting to feel uncomfortable.

"No, I met him through my second and last boyfriend."

"And was he also a vampire?" I could see the disgust spread through his face.

"Yes. What is wrong with you? Why are you so prejudiced against vampires?" I demanded. It wasn't like he was so pristine.

"In the past, I have been to Midgard. I have seen them wipe out entire villages not just to sate their blood lust, but for sport. Thor and I traveled from one tiny hamlet to the next trying to stop those abominations. They are disgusting, loathsome creatures and I cannot believe that they have been your sole bed partners. However, it is obvious that you have no trouble being intimate with a monster."

I had to stop myself from shouting at him. As I struggled to calm down, "Look, Loki, I came here and offered to help you. As you said yourself, my testimony is what will save you from the death penalty. Why don't we spend a little less time on my love life and a little more time on what I am going to say to your father?"

"Odin is not my father. When you speak to him, remember that. He is my judge and may very well be my executioner. But you are right. Let us not focus on these details."

The rest of the night went rather well. Loki asked some very insightful questions, especially about the limitations of my powers and warned me that Odin may require a demonstration during the inquiry. I left a few hours later feeling hopeful that I may just get through this trial and be home in a day or so.

I was so wrong.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N- Here's the chapter that gets the story bumped up to T. There is a short, non-graphic description of torture. Since the limit for K+ is 9 years old, I thought T was a better rating. **

Ch. 5

The next morning, I awoke to the sounds of Hilla getting a fire started in the fireplace. After years of serving at Merlotte's, I felt more than a little guilty having Hilla wait on my hand and feet. However, I reminded myself that it was only for a few days and that soon I would be back balancing trays at the bar.

After the fire was roaring, Hilla brought over a big tray of food. "Most ladies breakfast in bed."

"Where I come from, you usually only get breakfast in bed on Mother's Day."

"Mmm." Hilla didn't know what to say. She knew that I came from far away, but wasn't exactly sure where.

The food was lovely once again. There was some type of pale melon, an enormous pastry filled with berries, and thick porridge with dried fruits and honey in it. There was a large glass of red juice, also. No coffee, though. What a pity.

After breakfast, a steaming bath was waiting for me once again. Hilla was a wonder. I tried to ask her questions about herself, but she wasn't used to talking with the people she was serving and I could tell that I was making her uncomfortable. As I sank into the warm water, I couldn't help but smile. If I knew that I would be getting such a luxurious room out of the deal, I wouldn't have protested so vehemently against coming here.

Once the bath was over and I dried off, I let Hilla help me into the corset dress. As I looked in the mirror, I winced. It was even worse than I thought. I looked like I belonged at a renaissance fair and the corset ended up giving me Jessica Rabbit type curves. I was scared to move too much in case I popped out of the top of the dress.

Hilla swept my hair up in a complicated updo, leaving a few strands curling down. "Hilla, girl to girl, please tell me the truth, do people here really dress like this?"

"The nobility and royalty do," she said tensely and I could tell she took the question as an insult.

"Oh, well, thanks."

00000

I made my way to Loki's room, constantly tugging at my dress. I felt so silly and I wasn't looking forward to facing down the guards again. Luckily, there was a new set that day, and I got into Loki's room without the need to punch anyone.

"Ready to go?" I called out. I didn't see Loki when I entered the room.

"Give me a moment." Loki walked out of his bathroom adjusting his clothing and fiddling with his handcuffs. He was wearing another over the top getup topped with a helmet that had overarching horns.

I just couldn't help it. I burst out laughing. I must have laughed for three minutes straight. Whenever I started to calm down, I looked over at him and started up again.

My sides ached and the corset wasn't helping. "I'm sorry, I really am, it's just that is the silliest thing I have ever seen."

"It is formal royal clothing," he said coldly.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry. It's not like I'm much better. I look completely ridiculous."

I was wiping away my tears and looked up at him. I expected him to agree, but he shook his head and sucked in his breath.

"No, you do not appear ridiculous at all. You seem . . . delectable."

I swallowed. I definitely didn't like where this was headed. "Well, why don't we get going? We shouldn't be late."

"After you, my dear."

00000

We met Thor and a group of his friends in a small room outside the great hall. Loki told me that the hall was used infrequently and the last time was when Thor was supposed to be crowned king. Thor introduced us to Sif, the only female warrior in all of Asgard, and the Warriors Three: Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg.

Fandral leaned in a little too much when he kissed my hand. His thoughts were far too focused on getting me out of my corset for my liking. Hogun gave me a simple nod and I could tell that he didn't trust me. I really liked Volstagg, though. He kind of reminded me of a younger Santa Claus, full of goodwill and mirth.

Sif nodded coolly to me. "Excuse me, guys, can I steal Lady Sif for a minute? Girl talk," I said as I tugged her arm and half-dragged her into a corner.

"Thank goodness there's someone here to talk to." I beamed at Sif, determined to win her over.

"How can I help you, Lady Sookie?" She wasn't happy being singled out for being a woman.

"Please, please tell me there's another type of clothing I can wear while I am here. Clothing is really casual where I come from and if I have to wear a dress and corset the entire time I am here, I will just die."

Sif broke out in a genuine smile. "I completely understand. Most women in Asgard prefer more formal gowns, but I agree with you that simpler clothes are more comfortable. I can have the servants bring by some leather breeches and woven shirts for tomorrow."

I couldn't help it, I hugged the woman. I could tell she was a little shocked, but not uncomfortable. "Thank you so much. You're a lifesaver."

As we walked back to the group, Fandral leered at us. "What a pretty picture, my ladies."

I decided to put him in his place before he went too far. I could see Loki was getting a bit angry at him.

"Fandral, you remind me of someone."

"Oh, I do, my dear lady? A past lover, I hope." He waggled his eyebrows at me and grinned broadly.

"Actually, my brother," and I gave him a "friendly" punch on the arm.

The rest of the group tried to hide their smiles.

00000

The inquiry was not at all like the trials I had seen on Law and Order or Court TV. There was neither prosecutor nor defense attorney. A group of us waited at the bottom of the steps while one by one we were called up to give testimony directly to Odin while he sat on his throne, Queen Frigga standing by his side. He asked all the questions. The great hall was filled with hundreds and hundreds of people, and I assumed that there was some type of mystical P.A. system so that everyone could hear what was going on.

It seemed as though the crimes against Thor and the Jotuns would be looked into first. There was testimony from the families of the guards that were killed when Loki let the Frost Giants in to disrupt Thor's coronation. The Warriors Three and Sif testified to the Destroyer being sent to New Mexico and the devastation left behind in the little town. Heimdall told how Loki froze him and allowed the Jotuns into Odin's chamber. There was a collective gasp through the crowd when it was revealed that Prince Loki was adopted and was really Laufry's son.

Next up was Thor. He explained about Loki's plan to wipe out the Jotuns with the Bifrost. Then, Odin asked Thor about what happened on Midgard. I already knew what had happened since I had plucked it straight from Loki's mind, but I felt bad for Thor. He was struggling to give completely accurate testimony while also trying to avoid painting his brother in too bad a light.

"The Lady Sookie will now be questioned." King Odin's voice echoed and I could feel my knees shake a bit as I ascended the steps.

"There is no need to worry, my dear child," Odin said kindly. "Just answer the questions truthfully and to the best of your ability."

"First, did you question my son after the battle in the city they call New York?"

"Yes, sir, uhhh, majesty, I did." Great, I was already messing this up.

"And what did he say?"

"He refused to answer my questions, so I read his mind."

"And you have the ability to do this?"

"Yes."

"Can you give us a demonstration?" He leaned forward, glaring at me intently from his one good eye.

"Yes, anyone specific or do I pick at random?"

"You choose," he said with a small smile.

"Well, Fandral there is hoping this will end soon since he has a date with a young woman he is secretly meeting with during the feast while her father is busy. Sif is anxious that Loki will retaliate against her and the Warriors Three for their testimony against him. Hogun is ready for this all to be over and is disgusted that Loki hasn't already been sent to prison. Volstagg is ready for the feast to begin and hopes that I brought Pop Tarts with me. He tried them on Earth, I mean Midgard, and really liked them."

I paused briefly before going in for the kill. "And you, your majesty, are really, really happy that I have proven that I can read minds since you love your son and don't want to execute him." I was shaking slightly at the end. I was worried that reading Odin's mind would upset him, but he didn't seem concerned.

"You have proven that you do have the ability to read minds. What did you see in Loki's mind?"

"When would you like me to start?"

"When he found out that he was Jotun," he said, his brow furrowing from the memory.

"Loki was crazed with grief and insecurity when he found out that he was Laufry's son. It seemed to confirm to him that he was unloved by you and that Thor was your favorite. He was so desperate to win your love that he unleashed the Destroyer on his brother to keep him away as well as concocted the plan to 'save' you from Laufry, and destroy all the Frost Giants."

"And was he in his right mind when he committed these acts?"

"I am not a psychologist, but the term mad with grief would apply."

"And after he fell from the Bifrost, what happened to my son?"

"He was captured by the Chitauri. They tortured him."

"What do you mean, my child?" Odin's voice rose and the anger came off of him in waves.

"First, they beat him with some kind of blunt instrument. Then, they used whips. They would push him to the brink of death and then let him use his healing powers to recover before starting again. They tried fire, but his Frost Giant background made that type of torture ineffective. So, they switched to knives, slicing into him. After that, well, they got more inventive. It lasted for weeks or maybe months. They wanted to destroy his mind, take him to the edge of life and death." There was a collective gasp through the crowd and I could feel that people were becoming more sympathetic to Loki's plight.

I continued, "Afterwards, Loki was ready to agree to most anything, although the scepter and the Tesseract kept prodding him to follow Thanos' lead whenever he tried to go his own way. The Other, Thanos' henchman, even came to Loki in a vision while he was on Earth to remind him of the consequences of failing."

"I see, my child," Odin was shaking in anger at what had been done to his son. "Was Loki unable to resist the influence of the scepter?"

"He wasn't completely without his own will, just like someone who is drunk still can somewhat choose his own actions. However, what he had been through had severely warped his ability to fight off Thanos' influence."

"One last question, can you read Loki's mind at the moment?"

"No, sorry, the second he realized I could read his mind at the end of the interrogation, he closed his mind off. I haven't been able read him since."

"Thank you for your testimony. Next, I would speak with Loki."

I descended the steps heading back to my spot next to Sif. I felt relieved. I had done what I had come here to do. I thought it was a bit odd that Odin didn't ask me all the intrusive questions that Loki had prepped me for, but I was just glad that my part was over. Now, it was up to Loki. I gave him a weak smile as we passed each other on the stairs.

"Now, Loki Odinson, I will ask you to give your own account for your actions."

"Thank you, if I may, I'd like to go through these crimes one by one. As for letting the Jotuns into the relics vault during Thor's coronation and inadvertently causing the deaths of those two guards, I plead guilty. However, I had the best intentions for the kingdom at heart. Thor was foolhardy, warmongering, and ill-suited to rule at the time. I sent the Destroyer, killed Laufry and attacked the Jotuns with the Bifrost out of grief and anger and in a hope to rid us of an enemy. I will grant that I also did these actions to win your approval."

Even without being able to read Loki's mind, I knew that that last sentence cost him dearly to admit.

"As for my actions after I met the Chitauri, well, I believe the Lady Sookie had already given enough testimony on those events." Loki looked torn, as though he wanted to say more, but that he couldn't bring himself to even broach what happened after he fell from the Bifrost.

Loki clenched his fists together and took a deep breath. "All-Father, I humbly ask for your clemency and mercy in this matter." Loki bowed his head and stiffly kneeled.

Odin looked down at Loki thoughtfully and smiled as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"I am ready to pass judgment. Loki, for the crimes against the Jotuns, you will be fined one half of all crops that are harvested from your lands for the next one hundred years. You will personally deliver it as a tribute to them each year. To the families of the guards who died for your reckless actions, you will pay one hundred pounds of gold as restitution. For your participation in the destruction of the Bifrost, you will be charged with working on its repair until it has been completed. However, for your crimes against Midgard, it seems that you have already paid the price." He struck his staff twice on the ground and Loki's manacles fell off of him. I was surprised King Odin let him off so lightly, but I guess that's what comes of having your dad be your judge.

"So, have I been fully recognized and reinstated as a Prince of Asgard?" Loki asked carefully as he stood next to his adoptive father.

"You have, my son," Odin replied slowly, but, even without trying to read him, I could sense how wary he was.

"Then," Loki turned and faced the crowd with a smile, "as a legitimate Prince of Asgard, I invoke the right of bride choice."

That did not sound good. I could almost physically feel the sensation of a trap being sprung. The crowd began to murmur nervously.

"What does that even mean?" I leaned over and whispered to Sif.

"Asgardian royalty can choose their spouses from anyone in Asgard. The person who is chosen has no right to refuse. It isn't invoked very often anymore because who wants to spend eternity with someone who doesn't want them?"

Unfortunately, this was really starting to remind me a lot of vampire politics.

Sif looked on edge. I didn't mean to see what she was thinking, but she was broadcasting quite loudly. She was worried that Loki was about to name her. They had some type of murky past together, but I could tell she didn't want to end up married to him.

Loki was pausing for dramatic effect as all eyes in the hall were focused on him. I could feel the tension in the air with hundreds of minds buzzing with concern. While he had been effectively pardoned for his crimes, there were many in the crowd who still held a grudge against the reinstated prince.

"As my intended bride, I name Sookie Stackhouse."

My heart sank. Yep, this was exactly like vampire politics. I am never going to answer my cell phone again.

After being constantly pushed around by the vampires, I wasn't about to have something like that happen here. I spoke up loudly. "Sorry, I think there's a bit of confusion. I'm not planning on marrying anyone."

"It seems my intended needs to be informed of the intricacies of Asgardian law. Excuse us as I explain them to her."

Loki surged down the stairs, taking them two at a time, grabbed my arm and propelled me into a nearby chamber.


	6. Chapter 6

Ch. 6

"Now, I understand that this has come as a bit of a shock to you, but I am a prince, and I'll not have my orders questioned in public. The moment you set foot in Asgard, you fell under the jurisdiction of all our laws, including the law of bride choice. We will be married in 3 weeks time*****. After eating one of Lady Idunn's apples, you will be made immortal. Imagine it. I am giving you the opportunity of a lifetime."

"Surprisingly, you are not the first guy to offer me immortality if I stayed with him. The answer is no!" I shot back at him.

"That is not the same. I would have you live, not survive as some stinking undead abomination."

"Live! You call this living. Ya'll 'live' for so long that nothing ever changes here. Look at Sif. It's been a thousand years and you have exactly one female warrior? Your long lives have left you frozen in time. You're basically vampires that go out in the sun."

"Stop comparing me to those vile creatures. You will be pampered in luxury, living in a royal palace. That is the life you are being granted."

"I am just a simple waitress. I am not going to be some kind of ridiculous princess in a tower."

"You said yourself. You are of King Niall's line. You needn't live as a serving wench in a tavern. You would be a princess if you lived in the fairy realm. You have royal blood."

"Oh, what is it with men and my blood? You're worse than the vampires."

"I mean to give you a real life, not suck yours out of a vein," he screamed at me, although he loosened his grip on my forearm.

"I HAVE a real life. On Earth. In Bon Temps. In the house I grew up in. How long have you been planning this stunt? From the jail cell? When you were asking all of those nosy questions last night? Just let me go."

"I will not. You will be my bride. This discussion has ended."

"Oh, no, it hasn't. You don't even like me, much less love me. Why would you want to marry me?"

"While I will admit that this is not exactly a love match, you have many admirable qualities and I am not indifferent to your many charms," he leered at me.

"Wow, with compliments like that, it's amazing that you've remained a bachelor for a thousand years."

There was a knock at the door and Loki's mother entered. "I am sorry to have to interrupt, but this chamber is not as private as you would expect. Our guests can clearly your 'conversation'. Lady Sookie seems tired. Perhaps she could retire to her bedchambers and you could resume this discussion at a later time."

"Thank you, your Majesty. I am rather tired. I'll go straight to my room." Loki had let go of me the second his mother entered the room. I made a beeline for the door.

As I left, I kept thinking the same thing. Three weeks. That should be enough time to figure something out.

00000

Soon after I arrived at my room, I heard a knock at the door. I opened it, expecting to see Loki there, ready to resume our argument, but instead Thor was there with an anguished look on his face, standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"I am so very sorry, Lady Sookie. If I had had any knowledge that my brother would have acted in such a treacherous and underhanded way, I never would have convinced you to come to Asgard."

"Yeah, well, given his past history, we should have seen it coming."

"Indeed. I made a vow to you that you would be returned to your home. I intend to keep it. As much as it saddens me, I cannot break the law of bride choice. There is, however, an exception."

"Great, wonderful, what is it?" Finally, a ray of hope.

"If you are already married, Loki cannot claim you as his bride."

"Well, great, we'll just lie and say that I'm already married to someone back on Earth."

"Unfortunately, Lady Sookie, your husband must be from Asgard to counteract the law. Therefore," and then he began to kneel, "Lady Sookie, will you marry me?"

"Thor, get up! What are you even saying? Don't you have a girlfriend back on Earth?"

Thor stood and I looked up to him. "I love Lady Jane with all of my heart, but I made a vow to protect you and this is the only way I can."

"Thor, I'm not going to marry you. And do me a favor; never tell Jane that you proposed to me. She would be so mad at you."

"If you will not have me, Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg have all offered to stand in my place. They do not want you to be forced into marriage by Loki's tricks."

I was a little overwhelmed. I reached over and hugged Thor with all of my might. "Thank you so much. That may be one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me. And give the Warrior's Three hugs from me too. Especially Hogun. I know it must have been hard for him to offer. But, I'm not marrying anyone. I've got three weeks. There has to be a third option."

"I hope that you are right, Lady Sookie. I will go speak with my father and see if he can help us."

"Thanks, Thor, for everything."

Two princes proposed to me in one day. For some women, this would be a Disney dream. Why did I feel like I was living in a nightmare?

00000

A few hours later, Hilla came by to get me ready for the big banquet. With so many dignitaries at the palace for the trial, a feast had been prepared for them. Since the judgment reinstated Loki, there was to be a celebration in honor of his being accepted back into the family as well as a type of engagement party. I didn't want to attend, but I also was worried about offending Loki's parents. I wanted to make sure that I stayed on their good sides.

Hilla did an amazing job getting me ready for the banquet. When she was done, my hair was half up and half down and consisted of golden ringlets. I wore yet another corset dress with a full skirt. This one was a deep emerald green. Hilla told me that Loki preferred green and Thor red, which is why my dress was chosen. The neckline was low and scooped and the edges were trimmed with tiny seed pearls. When she finished, she excused herself to help with the preparations for the dinner.

As soon as the door closed behind Hilla, it was pushed in again and Loki swept past me, wearing a green tunic that matched my dress and black pants. Taking a good look at him for the first time, I had to admit that he was actually quite attractive. However, at the moment, he stood in the middle of my room, seething and every muscle in his body was tense.

"So, I see that instead of becoming my bride, you have decided to become my sister-in-law," he hissed at me and began obsessively clenching his fists.

"What? Oh, no, that's not it."

"Don't bother lying." He began to stalk me around the room, following me as I backed away from him. "I saw him on his knees to you. I saw you embrace. Of course, you would pick Thor over me. Why settle for being a princess when you can become queen?" The level of venom in his voice was overwhelming.

"Thor did offer to marry me. But I told him no."

Loki looked stunned and stopped short. "Whyever would you do that?"

"Why can't you get it through your thick head? Because I am not going to be forced to marry anyone, Loki! Not you, not Thor, not the Warriors Three, no one. Do you understand? Now get out of my room!" I yelled.

"I am obliged to escort you to the celebration. I trust you would not want to offend the king and queen."

"That's a dirty trick, Loki, bringing up your folks." I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm myself. "Fine, let's go eat."

00000

When we arrived at the banquet hall, it reminded me of a wedding reception, where the bridesmaids and groomsmen enter the hall arm in arm. Loki put out his arm for me to take and not wanting to seem rude in front of his parents, I took it as an official announced us. "Presenting His Royal Highness, Prince Loki and his betrothed, the Lady Sookie."

I plastered a big, fake smile on my face. I just had to get through the next few hours and then I could go back to my room and try to figure a way out of this mess.

Loki led me to a seat at the main table, only a few seats away from the King and Queen and near the Warriors Three, Sif and Thor. Now, my grandmother had spent countless hours teaching Jason and me good table manners, but she never would have envisioned us dining with intergalactic royalty. I got nervous looking at all of the different forks, knives, spoons and a few other utensils I couldn't even begin to identify.

Loki was seated next to me. He looked over at me and sensing my panic, leaned over and whispered in my ear, "It will be fine. Just follow my lead."

I nodded, but resisted the urge to smile at him. I was still incredibly pissed at him. It was his fault that I was in this predicament in the first place.

The food was amazing once again, but I really couldn't enjoy it. The meat reminded me of pork barbeque from home and all of a sudden, my eyes started to water. When would I get to see my house, Jason or my friends again?

Loki frowned at me as he caught me brushing away my tears. "What is it?"

I didn't want to say anything to him, but I couldn't ignore the concern in his eyes. "Just homesick," I replied and tried to finish my meal.

Volstagg tried to lighten the mood by regaling us with tales of heroic deeds that they had taken part in. I began to fidget uncomfortably in my seat when he started on a tale of how they had all gone to Midgard and vanquished a host of "soulless creatures" that drank the blood of their innocent victims. Loki smirked when he saw me look down and I shot him a dirty look.

After dessert, a band began to play music. I was worried that it was going to be some stuffy type of waltz, but I was surprised to see the partygoers engaging in rousing folk dances. The mead was flowing freely, and everyone seemed to be having a great time.

"They say it's a celebration for my reinstatement and our engagement, but it would be just as raucous if I had been sentenced to the dungeons," Loki whispered into my ear, bitterness leaking into every word.

I didn't know what to say. I was trying not to feel bad for him, but I could see his point. I could sense that most of the guests were just there to have a good time and didn't know or care about Loki.

All of a sudden, Fandral appeared standing before, leaning over and reaching for my hand. "May I have this dance?"

I was a bit torn. While Fandral was a bit full of himself and a womanizer, it meant a lot to me that he offered to marry me to get me away from Loki. I nodded and stood up. Even without reading his mind, I could feel Loki frowning behind me.

"I don't really know the dances that ya'll do here," I said as he led me to where the other dancers were.

"No need to worry. I will show you the steps; they are rather simple."

"Thanks," I took a deep breath and gave his hand a small squeeze. "And thank you for offering to marry me. It was a kind gesture."

"Thor told us that you refused us all. I want you to know, my lady, my offer was in earnest. You came to Asgard in good faith and I hate to see you tricked and manipulated by Loki."

"Well, thank you, really, from the bottom of my heart, but I will find another way out of Loki's trap."

"And I wish you all the luck in the world, my lady."

00000

I have to admit that I actually enjoyed the dances. Fandral was right; they weren't that complicated and the dance floor was full of people with varying levels of ability. I danced with Volstagg, Thor and even Hogun took me around for a spin. After the song ended, he let my hand go with a wink and I had to suppress a giggle.

The music began to slow and the dancers began to sway intimately together. I decided to head back to my seat, when someone caught my hand. I looked up and it was Loki. "As my betrothed, it is expected that you would dance at least once with me," he said stiffly.

I nodded, not wanting to seem rude. I wasn't used to slow dancing and I felt unsure when I tried to position my hands. He was too tall for me to easily place my hands around his neck, so I ended up awkwardly hugging him around his middle with my cheek against his chest. After a moment or so, though, I began to just relax, listen to the music, and sway. I could hear his heart beat and smell the faint traces of soap on his skin. I was surprised how disappointed I felt when the music ended.

"I should get back to my room. I'm a bit tired," I was feeling so overwhelmed and I just wanted to get away.

Loki nodded. "I will escort you back."

00000

When we arrived at my door, I turned to face Loki and wish him a good night, but he just opened my door and strode in. He looked at me with a smile that was obviously practiced and meant to be charming.

"It seems that we have started off on the wrong foot. I'd like to talk and help you see reason."

While I knew the words were meant to soothe me, the sentiment behind them was insulting. All that good will that I felt for him began to melt away. "See reason? Is it reasonable to be tricked, taken from my home and be forced to marry a man I barely know. Why me? You can literally choose any woman on this entire planet. You're a prince; you can have your pick."

Loki crossed the room and settled in a dark brown leather bound chair. "Really? You think it to be that easy? And which family would eagerly give their daughter to be wed to a monster? Which Asgardian would want their grandchildren to be half Jotun?" Hot tears ran down his face as he ranted and he didn't bother to wipe them away as his voice rose. I have to admit, I almost felt sorry from him.

"You mean a quarter Jotun." I sat down in the chair to his left, deliberately using a calming voice to try to soothe him.

"I mean half. Do they not teach arithmetic on Midgard? My children would be half Jotun." He put his face in his hands and looked down, defeated.

"They do teach math on Earth and quite well, I may add. You are clearly half fae, which means that you are only half Jotun and your children would only be a quarter." I looked at him triumphantly and was shocked by the expression on his face.

"What do you mean that I am half fae?" he asked coldly.

"Well, Thor told me that the Jotuns can't do any magic. And the way you act, the scheming, underhanded tricks inside of tricks just screams fae. When I read your mind, it was very similar to the other fae I've met. And with all your magical ability, you have to be at least half. Hell, I'm, let's see, 1/8th fairy and I can only read minds. My brother is 1/8th also and his only magical talent is being popular with the ladies."

"I am Laufry's son."

"I am sure that you are. But clearly, your biological mother was fae. Who was she?"

"I.. .I.. . I do not know. It was a thousand years ago. I only just found out that I was Laufry's son."

"And you killed him, so he won't be able to tell you."

Loki looked stricken. I knew that he wasn't upset that he killed his father, but rather that he had destroyed his only lead to find out who his birth mother was.

Then, I had an idea. Man, I can be brilliant if I want to be.

"Look, I have a proposition for you. Call off the wedding. I will go with you to the fairy realm and help you find out who your birth mother was."

"I have a counter-offer. We will go there on our honeymoon." He took my hands and smiled at me.

I pulled my hands away. "No. If you force me to marry you, I won't help you. And considering that I am Niall's great-granddaughter and, as you point out, a full-fledged fairy princess, you'll want my assistance."

"Fine, fine," he huffed as he sank back in his chair with a pout. "The wedding is off. I will inform my mother. She shall be rather disappointed. She was quite looking forward to having you reform me."

"Well, maybe we'll find you a nice fairy lady on our journey and she'll have grandbabies yet."

Loki grimaced and rose from the chair. "We shall leave at first light." he called over his shoulder as he swept out of the room.

First light. That sounded really early. Why didn't anyone ever want to leave at noon?

**Author's Note - * Yes, Loki broke one of the Evil Overlord's rules by waiting 3 weeks. Silly Loki.**


	7. Chapter 7

Ch. 7

I awoke early to Hilla shaking my arm gently. "Lady Sookie, Lady Sookie. Please wake up. You're to leave in an hour and you must be prepared."

Uggh. It all flooded back to me. I was taking Loki to the fairy realm. It seemed like such a wonderful idea last night, but to be honest, I had no idea what I was going to do. My experiences with the fairies had been hit and miss to say the least. I had no idea how I was going to find the answer to a thousand year old mystery.

Luckily, Sif had sent over some sensible clothes this morning. As I put on the dark brown leather pants and white loose fitting woven top, I looked all around the room for my clothes from home.

"Hilla, have you seen the clothes that I brought with me?"

She looked over at me, sheepishly. "Prince Loki ordered them burned."

"He WHAT?" I yelled.

She looked nervous and shrugged apologetically. "I am sorry, my lady, but he is the prince and those were his orders."

That little jerk. I wanted to strangle him. I was so glad I wasn't going to be saddled with that high-handed dictator for eternity.

00000

"You had my clothes burned," I shouted at Loki as he entered my room an hour later.

"They were hardly appropriate for a princess. Would you like me to conjure up another set of clothing that has been retched upon?"

This was not starting out well. I decided to just change the subject and focus on the journey. I took a deep breath. "Before we go, I should warn you to be careful. Fairies are known for their illusions. Nothing about them is what it seems. They are also known for being especially tricky. Also, don't eat or drink anything that they offer you or you won't be able to leave. Time moves differently there, too. A few minutes there can be a month back on Earth or longer. Have you ever traveled to the fairy realm before?"

"No, I have not. Fairies are not especially well liked in Asgard. Their use of magic and trickery in battle is considered dishonorable."

"Treacherous, underhanded, dishonorable magic users. I can't believe that it took you so long to realize you were half fae."

He looked like he was about to respond back angrily, but calmed himself and just shrugged his shoulders.

"Now, there's an open portal to the fairy realm near my house. Can you get us to Earth? Heimdall mentioned that you knew how to travel to different realms without the use of the Bifrost."

"Unfortunately, I spoke with Odin this morning and he would not authorize the use of the Tesseract for this particular journey. I had a hard enough time convincing him to let us go instead of sending me directly to work on the rebuilding of the Bifrost. However, there is another way for us to reach Midgard, but it will take a considerable amount of magical energy."

"Fine, before we go, we'll need some sort of backpacks, some camping gear, and lots of food and water. Can you get that together? Once we get to Earth, I'll need to stop by my house to pick up a few things."

"I'll have the servants gather the provisions and meet you back here after you've eaten."

"Okay, sounds great." The tension between us had dissipated a little bit as he turned to go. Watching him leave, I realized that I was about to travel alone for goodness knows how long with a man that tried to trick me into marriage. He seemed reasonable at the moment, but he had seemed reasonable before he pulled that "bride choice" crap on me.

00000

Loki was able to transport us back to Earth as I held onto him tightly and, with me focusing on my home, he was able to get us right to my front porch. When I looked over at him, he looked sickly and even paler than normal.

"Does travel between realms always take so much out of you?"

"Travelling via the Bifrost or Tesseract, no. But for this, I had to punch my way through all the branches of the Yggdrasil as well as bring you along. Since there is a stable portal between this world and the fairy realm, there should be no ill effects when we leave here. However, it may be prudent to rest for a few hours before the next leg of our journey."

"Sounds good. I should check my messages and let everyone know that I'm off to the fairy realm again."

I unlocked my front door and looked around the place. I sent Loki to sit on the couch in the living room while I checked the calendar on my cell phone in the kitchen. I had left Sunday night and it was only Wednesday morning. Somehow, I had felt that I had been gone much longer. I checked my messages, but there was nothing urgent. I didn't really want to talk to anyone as I was at a loss of what I could possibly say. Instead, I texted all my friends and family the same thing, "Off to the fairy realm. Will be back as soon as possible."

I knew that was going to piss some people off, but if I told Jason or Sam what was happening, I knew that they'd just want to come with us. Also, given Loki's absolute hatred of vampires, I didn't want to risk having Eric trying to tag along. Not that he would last long in the fairy realm without draining everyone in sight.

However, I hesitated when I thought about Bill. I really needed him to watch over Bubba and take care of the house for however long I was going to be gone. I'd ask Jason, but he was forgetful on his best days and he seemed preoccupied with his job as a deputy. I dialed Bill's number, acting like a coward since I knew it would go straight to voicemail.

"You have reached the number of Bill Compton. I am indisposed at the moment. Please leave a message and I will respond at my earliest convenience."

It always made me smile to hear his courtly manner of speech. "Hi, Bill, it's Sookie. I know you won't be up until sundown, but I have to go to the fairy realm again. I don't know when I'll be back. Please watch over the house and Bubba while I'm gone. Thanks!"

There was so much more that I wanted to say, but I didn't know how to say it. I put my cell phone back in my pocket and went out to the living room. I saw Loki struggling to stay upright on the couch. I told him to lie down and turned on the TV for him. I put it on the History Channel since that seemed to be about his speed.

I went around the house collecting everything we might need. Our major consideration would be the water and food situation. We'd need to bring everything that we would consume and we'd have to leave the fairy realm once our supplies were gone.

I looked through the food that Loki had his servants prepare. It looked like a lot of dried fruits and some type of meat jerky. I added some protein bars and trail mix from the cupboard. I transferred the water and mead he brought into lighter plastic bottles and added a few more containers from the pantry. Luckily, Loki insisted on carrying everything, which meant that I wouldn't have to be too worried about trailing too far behind him on our trek.

I briefly debated changing into some regular clothes, but the outfit I got from Sif was actually fairly comfortable and would probably blend in a little better in the fairy realm than a pair of jeans and a tank top. I grabbed a couple of extra pairs of undies and some toiletries and I was good to go.

I came back to the living room as Loki sat, watching T.V. with a puzzled look on his face. "Why is this called the History Channel? The programs that are being shown seem to have no connection to Earth history. There was a show about people living in a swamp and another about people who cut down trees."

"Network Decay*."

"What?"

"Uhh, never mind. I'm just glad I didn't turn on MTV. Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, I feel sufficiently ready for the next leg of our journey." He rose from the couch.

"I repacked the food. Are you still up to carrying everything?"

"I am easily fifty times stronger than you; a simple pack will be no problem."

Even though it was probably true, I had to roll my eyes. The man had no problem with false modesty.

"Great, off we go." I led him out the front door and locked the place up behind us. I took one long last look at the house. I wondered when I'd see it again.

00000

Loki was right; we were able to breeze right through the portal near my house. Once we got to the fairy realm, he turned to me expectantly. It was my turn now. I closed my eyes and focused on searching for another mind. I could sense Loki next to me, but only as a blank spot, much like a vampire would be. As I concentrated more, I felt the mind of a 10 year old fairy girl in a clearing a little ways off.

"I've found someone we can ask for directions, but I need you to stay here."

"Why?"

"It's a little girl. You're going to be too intimidating. I'll be right back."

Loki grinned at the idea that he was intimidating, but nodded his head. I walked over to where I sensed the girl was collecting firewood.

"Hi," I said softly, so as not to scare her.

"Oh, hello," she clutched her firewood to her chest and looked frightened.

"No need to be scared. I just need some directions," I said with my most winning smile.

The girls smiled back, looking shy and tentative. "Where to?"

"The castle." I figured that was the easiest way to find my great-grandfather. I didn't want to tell anyone we were related just yet.

"You don't want to go there." The child began to tremble. She was trying to shield her mind as best she could, but I could tell she was terrified.

"I really need to get there. Could you please tell me where it is?"

I could see that she was debating something internally, but finally she nodded. "It's that way, to the north. After about a half day's walk, you should find the road. After that, it's at least another day's walk, but the road leads right up to it. But, you really shouldn't go there."

"Why not?"

"I can't say; I am going to be in so much trouble." And with that, she dropped all the wood she had collected and ran off.

I turned and made my way back to Loki. "What did she say?"

"She gave us directions to the road which will lead us to the castle. All told, it should take us another day and a half to get there. The girl was frightened, though. She wouldn't say why, but she was terrified."

"Well, I am sure we are more than a match for whatever comes our way."

I really wish I had his confidence.

000000

So, we walked and we walked. And then, we walked some more. I knew I was slowing Loki down, but he was decent enough to wait for me more than once. When we finally found the road, we stopped under a tree for lunch. He dropped the pack and it landed with a thud. He began to rummage around in it to take out some food and water.

"What are these scraps of clothing? Are they handkerchiefs?" he asked as he pulled my clothes out of the pack.

"No," I said as I grabbed them out of his hands, "they're underwear."

"That is what you wear under your garments? Interesting."

He stared at me.

"What?" I demanded.

"Just trying to picture it."

"Uggh. Are you going to be like this the whole time?"

"Like what?"

"Creepy. Look, I am here trying to help you out. Please don't make me regret it."

He just smiled and handed me some dried fruit and jerky. We ate mostly in silence. I couldn't remember the last time I was this tired.

Too soon, Loki stood up and began to brush the dirt off of his clothes. I could have taken an hour long nap, but he was ready to get going.

0000000

We probably walked for another four or five hours more, stopping once or twice to rest briefly. Finally, when the shadows began to lengthen, Loki decided to make camp for the night. Since he was far more experienced with roughing it, he was in charge of finding a good spot away from the road, making the fire, etc.

Once we had finished yet another "lovely" meal of trail mix and unidentified jerky, Loki broke out the mead. He offered me some and I was about to refuse, but, I really, really needed a drink. After three or four cups, Loki looked over at me, "So was that Bill on the phone one of your past vampiric lovers?

Great, he eavesdropped on my phone call this morning. Why was I not surprised?

"Yes. Look, haven't we already delved into my love life enough already? I've had precisely two boyfriends; they were vampires; get over it."

"Yet, you do not seem the type to court danger. So, why were you with them?"

I didn't want to tell him, but the alcohol loosened my tongue. I told him about Bill being sent to by the vampire queen and having a file on me and Eric forcing me to interrogate his employees and tricking me into drinking his blood to create a bond between us. The stories came out a lot bitterer and angrier than I meant them to, but I was buzzed and more than a little tired of defending them to Loki.

"It's not that it's all been bad. I love them both in their own ways. But, I guess I got sick and tired of being tricked and manipulated. They both think that they have some sort of claim over my life, which I guess I can understand since they saved me from danger more than once."

"But, was your life in constant danger before you met them?" Loki asked earnestly, the fire's glow flickering across his face.

"No, not really, but it's been topsy turvy ever since." I smiled wanly. "Let's change the subject."

"Certainly."

"So, what was it like growing up in Asgard?"

At first, I could tell that he didn't want to talk about it, as though the happy memories of a more carefree time were too hard to bear. But, slowly, he began to open up. A lot of the sweet stories had to do with his mother and the ones involving his brother always seemed to put Thor in a bad light. I don't know if that was deliberate or the way Loki always thought of him. He didn't mention Odin once.

* * *

**Author's Note- *Network Decay is a term from the TV Tropes website. You will now automatically forfeit 4 hours of your life as you get sucked into that site. You're welcome!**


	8. Chapter 8

Ch. 8

The next day was spent, once again, walking down the road. I noticed something odd, something I hadn't thought of the day before. Although the road was dirt, it was wide and obviously well-used. However, we hadn't seen anyone at all along it.

In the afternoon, we noticed that the landscape began to change. Lush green forests gave way slowly to a barren, gray desert. All the vegetation was twisted and malformed. We traveled until it got dark. After one more hill, we saw a castle illuminated in the distance.

"Is that Niall's castle?" Loki asked.

"I suppose so. I've never been to his castle."

"Wait, if you have never ventured to his castle, how did you hope to guide me there to find out my mother's true identity?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "Dumb, blind luck?"

"You TRICKED me? You said you could help me. You don't possess any sort of a plan, do you?" His voice rose and he turned to face me.

"No, I mean, I thought I'd figure something out once we got here. Only, this isn't the fairy realm that I am used to."

"No, it probably isn't." Another voice sneered behind us.

All of a sudden, we were surrounded by several burly guards wearing medieval type armor and pointing swords at us. "Under the queen's command, raise your hands and come with us."

I looked at Loki. I supposed that we could have fight our way out of this, but he shook his head and raised his arms. I did the same.

We were led through the castle gates and straight on through to the main throne room. The queen sat on a raised throne. It wasn't as elaborate or as decorated as Odin's, but impressive in its own right. She had long, dark wavy hair and blue eyes so light that they almost looked white. She filled out a long dark red dress in a way that would make a Playboy Bunny blush. She was probably the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

In a fit of jealousy, I comforted myself with the fact that it was probably all an illusion.

"Now, who do we have here?" she purred. "Prince Loki and the Halfling from King Niall's line."

"Your Majesty," Loki bowed with his most winning and charming smile on his face, "You have me at a loss. You know who I am, but I have not had the pleasure of your name."

"I am Ezilla, the new queen of this realm. All of Niall's line has been eliminated, except for this Halfling and her mundane brother. I had thought that I would have to travel to the human world myself to execute her, but look, you've brought her right to me."

"And what do you intend to do with her?" Loki asked.

"Kill her as quickly as possible. With her out of the way, my claim on this realm will be virtually unopposed. Now, Prince Loki, your reputation has preceded you. We have spies everywhere, even in the All-Father's own palace. I know that you thirst to rule and that, even reinstated as a Prince of Asgard, you will never rule there. So, I have a proposition."

"And what is that, my queen?" He made the question sound like a caress.

"Kill this mongrel girl and marry me. We will rule this realm with an iron fist, destroying any opposition in our way."

I gulped. This was all that Loki really wanted. I looked over at him and saw his face contorted into a wide malevolent grin.

"A most tempting offer. However, I beg of you, give me one night with the girl before I kill her in the morning. She refused me when I gave her the opportunity to be my wife. I will make her pay slowly for such insolence."

"I can grant you that." The queen slowly descended from her throne and began to stalk towards me. "And, as a gesture of my generosity, let me get her started for you."

All of a sudden, my arms were pinned by magic as lightening leapt from her fingertips. My body arced in intense pain as she sent another wave through me. Then, she released me and I fell panting to the floor.

"Guards, accompany Prince Loki and the Halfling to a guest suite. I am sure that they will want to spend the rest of the night getting to know one another better."

The guards roughly picked me up as Loki bent over the queen's hand and kissed it.

"Until the morning, my queen."

"Until then, my prince."

Then, mercifully, I fainted.


	9. Chapter 9

Ch. 9

I don't know if I woke up minutes or hours later. I was on a bed. Loki was bending over me, his feverishly hot fingers probing my side.

"Owww, that hurts. Stop it," I said weakly.

"Ezilla has caused internal damage. I have to figure out the extent of it so that I can heal you."

I tried to push him away and scramble to the other side of the bed. "Why would you try to heal me if you're just going to kill me in the morning?"

"My dear, I have absolutely no intention of harming you. I needed time to try to devise a plan to get us out of here. I am the Master of Lies and Deception. I will not be bullied by a fairy queen."

"Then, why did you let her hurt me?" I have to admit that it came out a lot more whiny and needy than I meant it to.

"I am truly sorry for that. There was no way I could intervene without risking that we would both be instantly killed. All that I can offer you now is healing from the wounds that she inflicted. Now, please come here." His voice was soft and concern was etched on his face.

His fingers glowed softly as they ghosted over my heavily bruised skin. Slowly, the pain began to recede.

"Thanks. So, how are we getting out of here?"

"Shush, now, little one. Rest and let me take care of that. But, before you drift off to sleep, did you sense anything from the queen or her guards?"

I nodded. "They were shielding pretty strongly, but I could tell that something wasn't quite adding up. They're hiding something pretty big."

"That was my assessment, too. I have a few theories on how to proceed. Sleep and we will formulate our plan in the morning."

I felt my eyes growing heavy and Loki tucking a blanket in over me.

"Good night, Loki." Despite our precarious situation, I felt warm and safe.

"Good night, my sweet."

000000

I awoke once during the night to Loki crying out and thrashing in the bed next to mine. He was sweating and shaking. His defenses were down and he was broadcasting intense terror, reliving his time with the Chitauri. I wondered how many nights he spent like this. I didn't know what to do. I went over there, and knelt next to his bed, my head next to his.

"Hush, shush; it's okay; you're okay; you're safe; you're safe." I rubbed his forehead, cool fingers soothing a feverish brow. I tried to mentally project a sense of calm and safety. In a minute or so, his body relaxed and I could feel his mind drift off to more pleasant dreams.

00000

The next morning, I woke up and was ravenously hungry and so thirsty. Then, I remembered the prohibition about eating or drinking anything. The guards had taken our packs when they had captured us. We really needed to get out of here soon.

Loki was up and staring at me from across the room. He smiled as he saw me lift my head. Then, his expression turned grim.

"I have come up with a plan. Unfortunately, to carry on with the charade, I must behave most cruelly in front of the queen. Please understand ahead of time that this is the only way."

I nodded. "It's okay, Loki. I trust you."

He smiled ruefully. "Do you know how few people have ever uttered those words? But, do not worry, I hope to prove worthy of such trust. And now, for a little magic."

Tendrils of magic swirled from his fingertips. My clothes shifted and appeared shredded and any modesty I might have had was lost in the horror of the illusion that lay underneath. My skin appeared to hang in strips, blood flowing freely. And yet, I felt no pain, just revulsion at the image.

"It must seem as though I spent the night 'punishing' you. Are you ready to go and face the queen?"

"What do you need me to do?" I asked.

"Appear half dead. Moan piteously. Cry."

"I can do that."

"There's my girl," he said with a grin.

I smiled. I should have been uncomfortable at the intimate nickname, but since we were facing death together, I guessed it was appropriate.

"Thanks for everything. For choosing to help me instead of, of. . . ." I trailed off and looked down at my feet. I couldn't finish because I was just realizing how bad things would have turned out if Loki hadn't decided to help me.

Loki lifted my chin so that he could look me in the eyes. "My dear Sookie, I have lived for a thousand years. There are many things I regret. Many things I would take back. Sending the Destroyer to attack my brother, attempting to obliterate Jotunheim, listening to Thanos's lies. But even if it earns me my death, I would never regret choosing you."

He took my hand, kissed it tenderly, and winked at me. "Now, let us go and vanquish the queen."


	10. Chapter 10

Ch. 10

In the throne room again, the queen looked breathtaking in a bejeweled pale blue gown that matched her eyes. She grinned wickedly as she saw Loki drag me into the room, fake blood dripping onto the white marble tile.

"So, I see that you have thoroughly enjoyed yourself last night," she said, clapping her hands and crowing with delight.

"Indeed, I have, my queen. I was worried that she would give out too quickly, but as you can see, she still draws breath."

"Well, not for long. Shall I do it or should you?"

"Please give me the honor, my queen." Loki bent over me and I was wrapped in purple ribbons of light coming from his fingertips. I writhed as though in pain and then lay still.

"As you can see, she is gone."

The queen descended from the throne and leaned over me. "Very good, very good. And if I were a normal fairy, I would believe it. However, I am queen. This is an obvious attempt at trickery. Guards, seize him."

All the guards in the room surrounded Loki, pointing long swords at him.

"My dear Loki, what a disappointment. And I would have made you my King. Not for long, mind you. I had intended to kill you on our wedding night. You see, the mother that you so desperately search for, she was a princess, Driede, from the only province still not under my control. By marrying you, I would have solidified my last claim to this realm."

"Why did Laufry take her?"

"Don't you know anything about your true father? This comes of not truly studying your enemy. Laufry was obsessed with royalty. He married into nearly every royal family in Jotunheim. He had a harem of wives. Even began raiding some on Midgard, kidnapping young princesses left and right. That's what's started the war with Odin. But even after his actions started a war, it was not enough for Laufry. So, one day, using the Ice Casket, he snuck into the fairy realm and stole a princess. Pity she didn't survive the birth. And, of course, the half breed was a runt left in the temple to die like a dog."

"There is something that I should tell, my dear queen." Loki grinned his million watt smile.

"And what is that, my half breed prince?" the queen spat out.

"Never gloat. You'll always regret it."

All of a sudden, a second Loki appeared behind the queen and placed both hands on either side of her head. "I take your power from you, usurper." He hissed.

The first Loki in the middle of the room, surrounded by guards, disappeared as they lunged forward with their swords.

The queen began screaming in pain and I could see the illusions being stripped away. First from the throne room. Although the basic physical layout was the same, all the tapestries, rich marble, and gold trimming faded away and became common wood. Next, the guards changed from huge, hulking nearly identical brutes to small, twisted Gollum type characters.

The last illusion to fade was that of the queen herself. Her beauty drained away and twisted. Her skin became gray and frail and she looked about eighty years old.

"Go, live out your days. You will possess no more magic. You will hurt no one else." Loki said almost gently.

The queen fell to the ground and was then ushered away by one of the guards.

"You let her live," I said as I stood up and Loki's "punishment" illusion melted away.

"Yes, she has no ability to hurt us now. Taking her life is unnecessary."

"No, I agree. It's just . . . I guess, I've been hanging around with vampires too long. They're the type to kill first and ask questions later."

"I see. Well, let's just say that I understand what it is to need mercy."

000000

Next, we traveled to Driede's province which was only about a day's walk. When we arrived, Loki identified himself as Driede's son and found the current royal family. Loki regaled them with stories of our cunning defeat of the evil queen, although he greatly exaggerated my part in it. He met a few of his cousins that still survived and talked over their plans to regain their kingdom. It turned out my great-grandfather had not been killed by the queen, but rather banished to another dimension. Loki's cousins promised to work on his release.

With the restriction of not eating or drinking anything from the fairy realm looming over our heads and the provisions that we brought running low, we had to leave after a day or so with many promises that we would return as soon as we could. Luckily, Loki's cousins were able to magically transport us directly back to our portal, saving us days of more endless walking.


	11. Chapter 11

Ch. 11

Loki and I thanked his cousins and got ready to pass through the portal back to Earth."I hope that we won't arrive back too late. The last time I was gone for a few minutes and I lost an entire year."

"You went on this journey knowing that you could lose years of your life back on Earth?" Loki furrowed his brow.

"I made a promise to you, Loki. I don't regret it."

"Thank you, my dear. Let me see if I can manipulate the portal to arrive back soon after we entered."

We crossed through the portal together and I looked over at Loki. He was ashen and gray, shaking uncontrollably. "What's wrong, Loki?"

"After defeating the queen and trying to control the portal, I'm afraid that my magic is a bit worse for wear. If it will not trouble you too much, may I rest here for a few days before returning to Asgard?"

"Of course, sure."

I have to admit. I was glad that he was staying. I had really begun to enjoy being with him. He was funny and witty and so charming when he wasn't trying to force me to marry him. We walked back to the house with Loki leaning a bit on me along the way.

Once inside, I checked my cell phone. Our journey to the fairy realm had only lasted a few days. This was turning out much, much better than expected. And then I checked my voicemail. What a bad idea.

"What troubles you, my dear?" Loki asked as I started cursing under my breath.

"It's just that today is the day that I promised to cover a half shift for Melody, the new waitress, and baby-sit Arlene's kids."

"You have just been through a most trying journey. Is there any way you can avoid these obligations?"

"Loki, I really, really wish I could. But, to be honest, my life seems to constantly careen from one emergency to the next. If I don't help my friends out when I can, well, they probably won't stay my friends for too long."

"I understand. When do these obligations begin?"

"I need to be at Merlotte's at a little before 10. Melody will be back at 2, after her doctor's appointment, and then I have to go to Arlene's and watch the kids from 3 p.m. to about midnight. Let's see, it's about 6:30 in the morning right now. Why don't I get breakfast ready while you jump in the shower? I can shower after we eat."

Then, I stopped.

"It's going to be a long, hectic day. Would you rather stay here and rest on the couch or come with me?"

"I would join you." He smiled at me and my stomach did a little flip. Wow. When did that happen?

"Alrighty. Let me go get started on breakfast."

We had been gone long enough that some of the food in the fridge had gone bad. I decided to tackle that task first, discarding it into a large kitchen trash bag. The smell from the milk almost made me sick. After that was all done, I went about trying to assess what I could possibly make Loki for breakfast. The prospects were not great. Luckily, I had a box of pancake mix, some oil and maple syrup in the back of the pantry. I scrounged around some more and located some coffee, powdered creamer and sugar.

As I started to fix breakfast, I heard Loki clear his throat behind me. "Sorry to interrupt, but I think my clothing will attract unnecessary attention to us." He was standing in the kitchen wearing only a towel. I sucked in my breath. It was the most I had seen of him. I could feel my cheeks get warm.

"I guess magicking some clothes will be too much of a strain. Let me see. You know, umm, I have some clothes upstairs. Let me go grab them."

Eric had left some clothes over at my place while we were together. I always meant to return them, but that act had a sense of finality to it that I didn't want to think about. In my mind, not returning the clothes left the door open to us someday getting back together.

I came back downstairs and handed Loki a black button down shirt and black slacks. "Sorry, that's all I've got. You'll just have to wear your shoes." Loki was a hair shorter and a bit thinner than Eric, but they weren't too far off.

After Loki got dressed, we ate breakfast quickly, not even bothering to pause to talk. It was our first real meal in days. Even though the quality wasn't great, it was better than protein bars and bottled water.


	12. Chapter 12

Ch. 12

Before we left, I went by the bookcase. "It's going to be boring just hanging out at Merlotte's for four hours. I'll have to work, so I won't be able to chat much. Would you like something to read?"

"Yes, I would. You remembered."

"Well, your room in the palace looked like a library. How about The Complete Works of Shakespeare? You seem like a Shakespeare type of guy." I grabbed a book that I hadn't touched since high school and handed it to him. "My favorite is Much Ado about Nothing. I've seen like three different versions of it. I had a hard time studying Shakespeare in high school. It's really meant to be seen as a play, not read."

"Thank you, my dear."

Once we got to Merlotte's, I found Loki a booth in my section and went to the back room to drop off my purse and pick up an apron. Merlotte's usually didn't open so early, but Sam was trying to get the after church lunch crowd, and so far, it was a great success. I was also pleased that the tips were usually great and I didn't have to worry about any drunks with wandering hands.

I stopped by Loki's booth before I got started with my other customers. "Since we just had breakfast, do you want me to start you off with some coffee? You can just nurse it until lunchtime."

"Nurse coffee?" He raised an eyebrow at the expression.

I colored. "It means to sip it slowly."

"That sounds like a splendid idea."

I checked in on Loki from time to time, taking care not to refill his coffee too many times. I didn't want to see what he was like hopped up on caffeine. He was engrossed in the book and I was surprised at how quickly he read it.

Around noon, I came over with a menu. "You can look it over and let me know what you'd like."

He read the menu, but he looked perplexed. "I am not very familiar with Midgardian food. Why don't you just pick something?"

"Alrighty. The food here isn't fancy, but we do have pretty good burgers and fries."

"That sounds delightful."

When I dropped off Loki's order, Lafayette, our cook, waved me over to the kitchen. "Honey child, please, please, please, tell me that tall, pale and handsome in the corner there plays for my team."

I giggled. I really loved Lafayette. He was possibly one of the sunniest people I had ever met. I always preferred working when he was in the kitchen.

"Sorry to disappoint, Lafayette, but I am 100% sure that he plays for my team."

"You are breaking my heart, Sookie, just breaking it. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. Pick up for table 3."

When my shift ended, I slid into the booth next to Loki. "I've noticed that you have charmed at least half of our customers."

It was true; people kept drifting over to his table. There weren't that many strangers in our town and there was definitely something that set Loki apart. However, instead of seeming standoffish and aristocratic, like I expected him to, he always seemed to be beaming and engaged in conversation whenever one of the customers came over to his booth. I supposed it didn't hurt that he was amazingly good-looking.

Loki smiled. "When we had to go on diplomatic missions, Odin always made sure that I was the one that talked, not Thor. I've spent hundreds of years honing my skills. It's not that hard to charm people. Everyone loves to be asked questions about themselves. Everyone loves to think they are fascinating. And, to be honest, most people really are if you give them the chance."

"This is a far cry from the Loki of before, ranting about us puny mortals."

"Yes, well, my own arrogance and the effects of the Tesseract fueled those rants, I'm afraid. However, I will admit, that spending time with mortals and getting to know them have changed my perspective."

"Well, I'm glad that you are excited about spending time with mortals, because we are about to face our biggest challenge yet."

"And what is that?"

"Babysitting."


	13. Chapter 13

Ch. 13

I like kids. I really, really do. But, babysitting is tough. When I was younger, I did it for extra money, and I was usually really good, especially since I could read their minds and figure out what they were up to. But, in reality, babysitting is usually a lot of responsibility for a ridiculously low amount of money.

However, Arlene and I have been friends for ages. We've helped each other out all the time and when she asked me to watch the kids a few weeks ago so that Terry and her could go to an upcoming family wedding, I didn't hesitate to say yes. Lisa and Coby were great kids and the baby, Mikey, was usually fairly easy-going.

I didn't count on the fact that I would be saddled with a half-fairy prince at the time.

On the car ride over, I explained the best I could to Loki what the rest of the day would entail, keeping the kids entertained until supper, feeding them, getting them ready for bed. I asked him if he had any experience with kids.

"I am a thousand years old. I have experience with everything."

I rolled my eyes. Let him talk tough now. Let's see how he was in two hours.

00000

When we arrived at the Bellefleur house, Loki looked at me quizzically. "If your friend works as a server as you do, and her husband is a cook, how can they afford such a large abode?"

"It's a long story. Their place burned down and they're living with Terry's cousin, Andy. That side of the family is old money."

"How did the fire occur?"

"Would you believe a ghost?"

Loki nodded thoughtfully, "Seems plausible."

I couldn't help but smile. I loved how all the supernatural weirdness didn't faze him at all.

00000

Terry was waiting for us at the door, dressed in a light tan suit. "Arlene's finishing getting ready." He shook Loki's hand, but eyed him warily.

"This is my friend, Loki. He's from England, staying in town for a few days." It was the best cover story we could think of. Loki's accent was close enough to British to fool most everyone in Bon Temps and it was the lie that Loki had spread while meeting the various customers at Merlotte's.

Arlene came down a few minutes later, wearing a pretty blue dress that matched Terry's tie. "Sookie, I am so glad you're here. The kids have been driving me crazy." Then, she saw Loki and blanched. She quickly flashed him an incredibly fake smile and tugged me into the kitchen.

"Sookie, who is that? Are you having another vampire watching my kids?"

Loki did have the paleness and sophistication of a vampire, so I could see why she would get confused. And Bill did help me watch her kids once, although I thought he did a good job at it.

"Loki's from England. Not a vampire at all. See, it's still daylight out."

Arlene's eyes narrowed, but she nodded slowly. "Sookie, these are my kids, so you better not be fooling with me."

I swallowed. I felt bad not telling Arlene the whole truth, but I wasn't ready to get into Loki's unusual parentage.

"It'll be fine. Go have fun at the wedding. Who's getting married again?"

"I don't know; it's some cousin of Andy and Terry's. I'm just looking forward to the free food and dancing."

"Sounds good; when should you be back again?"

"Round midnight. Alright, we better get going." Arlene headed back to the front room. "I'll have my phone on if you need to reach us."

"Have a good time," I said as Arlene and Terry walked out the front door together.

I looked at Coby and Lisa staring at Loki on the couch. I sighed; now what?

0000000

I was worried about what to do with the kids until dinner until Loki came up with a truly brilliant idea. Coby was chasing his sister around the house with a stick when Loki suggested he give the children fencing lessons outside in the backyard. The kids were deliriously happy. They ran outside and began searching for sticks that would serve as practice swords.

They were outside for hours. I watched from the back porch, Mikey perched on my hip. Loki was amazing, taking them through countless exercises and adapting each lesson to their age. He was lavish with his praise and the kids adored him. I felt bad when it started to get dark and it was dinnertime.

After they had finished their "lessons", Coby and Lisa raced into the house and washed their hands for dinner. Coby came up to me, "That was the coolest ever. You know, Sookie, I like Loki a lot more than vampire Bill. I mean Bill was cool, but sword fighting is the best."

"See, my dear, wisdom from the mouths of babes." Loki smirked at me.

I shook my head and rolled my eyes before heading to the kitchen. Looking around, I saw that Arlene had left a box of macaroni and cheese for the kids along with carrots sticks with ranch dressing in the fridge. It was a perfectly acceptable meal that I had eaten along with the kids many times before when watching them. However, I felt embarrassed that the only Earth food Loki had eaten so far was all pretty simple.

As I served dinner for the kids and got the bottle ready for Mikey, I gave Loki an apologetic smile. "I am so sorry that the food today has been so, um, normal?"

"I would rather have a simple meal with you than a feast in a palace any day." Loki gave me a reassuring smile.

"Loki likes Sookie, Loki likes Sookie." The kids began to chant in unison as I blushed a bit. "Alright you two, settle down. If you finish all your carrots, your mom has left a few chocolate chip cookies for you."

After dinner, I started on the dishes. To my surprise, Loki pitched in, drying them off. There was something incredibly sweet and homey about the act and I caught myself stealing glances at him.

"Since Coby got to be a prince and learn about sword fighting, Lisa gets to watch her favorite princess movie." Arlene had left the Ever After DVD out for the kids to watch after supper. Lisa squealed in excitement, while Coby declared it to be a "girl's movie". However, once it got started, he was glued to the TV set.

After the movie, we got the kids to bed. Mikey had drifted off during the movie, so it was easy to transfer him to his crib. With Coby and Lisa, we had to make sure they brushed their teeth, got their pjs on and we had to read them at least two stories each. I could see that poor Loki's nerves were fraying a bit by the end.

"Kids are a lot of work," I said once they were finally tucked in bed.

"Yet, you did a magnificent job with them. Mothering comes naturally to you. I am sorry if this is an impertinent question, but did you never regret that your relationships with vampires would prevent you from having a family of your own?" Although he asked the question gingerly, I still bristled a bit.

"I don't know. I mean, I've always wanted kids and a family. I know that doesn't happen with a vampire. It's just that every attempt I ever made to go out with a human ended in disaster since I could read the guy's every thought. Especially when I was younger, it was really hard not to hear what everyone was thinking. Since I can't hear their thoughts, being around vampires is restful."

"And can you hear my thoughts?"

"No, I can't. It's wonderful." I looked down, not willing to look in his eyes. I decided to change the subject. "So did you like the movie?"

"Yes. It was quite an interesting story. A young woman of noble birth must work as a servant. She falls in love with an arrogant prince, they marry and, what was the phrase, they live happily ever after?"

I grinned. I got his point about the similarities in our situations. "When I was a little girl, my mother used to read me the Cinderella story the movie was based on. I think that's why I like the movie so much. It also has one of my favorite quotes in it."

"Which one?" Loki leaned against the wall in the hallway with his arms crossed, head cocked to the side.

"A bird may love a fish, but where will they live?"

"And, why, pray tell do you like it so much?"

I looked down again, feeling too vulnerable to look him in his face. "I used to think about it a lot when I was dating Eric. There was no good middle ground between us. Only the day or the night. I had live in his world. He could never survive in mine."

I looked up and Loki seemed to be finding the words to say something. I smiled, trying to change the subject. "You know, if you like this movie, we have to watch the Princess Bride together. Now that is my absolute favorite movie ever."

"A most promising name." Loki straightened up and took a step towards me.

Then, I realized that I was making future plans with Loki. Plans that extended beyond just the here and now. That was dangerous territory.

Loki was staring at me with an intensity that was overwhelming. The moment felt fragile, as though one thing could nudge our fates into two completely different directions. He was only a hairs breath away and I could hear the soft whisper of his breath.

"Aw, hell," I muttered and dove in for the kiss. It started out soft and gentle, but then his fingers tangled in my hair and it deepened. All of a sudden, I could her Mikey crying in his room.

I pulled away. "Crap, if we don't go now, he'll only get louder and wake up the kids."

Loki nodded silently, his breath a little ragged, but I could tell he didn't want to stop.

I went in and picked up Mikey. I changed his diaper as he fussed. "It's been about three hours since he last ate, can you hold him while I get his bottle ready?" Loki took the child and I have to admit, my heart fluttered a little bit, seeing him with a baby in his arms.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts as I walked to the kitchen. Once the bottle was ready, I took Mikey and fed him. I burped him and held him, waiting for his tiny body to relax against mine, so that I could put him down again. But that didn't happen.

Instead, Mikey cried for the next three hours straight. Loki and I tried everything I could think of. I even tried reading the baby's mind to find out what the matter was, but he was so young that I didn't get any useful information from it.

It was so bad that Loki even offered to cast a sleeping spell on him. I have to admit, at that point, I was a tiny bit tempted, but I knew that Arlene would kill me, so I told Loki no. He just shrugged. After the first hour, I sent him outside for a walk so that the poor man could get away from the screaming. When he was outside, I got a text from Pam, Eric's progeny and my only real vampire friend. All it said was, "Are you back from fairy?"

"Yes, babysitting now, will call tomorrow night," I texted quickly while patting Mikey on the back. I didn't want to talk to either of them and hoped that I could stall them at least for another night.

Finally, around 11:45 p.m., Mikey quieted down. I laid him in his crib and crept into the living room where Loki had fallen asleep sitting up. I plopped down next to him, waking him up.

"Is he finally asleep?" he whispered.

"Yes, thank the Lord. See, that's the not so fun part of being a parent."

"Still, my dear, you did an admirable job. You were also very perceptive to send me out of the house. I was holding on to the last vestiges of my patience."

"Well, it's important to know your limits." I smiled. "Now where were we?"

We had just begun to kiss, when I heard Arlene and Terry opening the front door. We sprang apart like guilty teenagers, but Arlene knew what was happening.

"Sookie Stackhouse, are you fifteen years old? Can you not make out on your own couch in your own house?"

"An excellent idea. We will get right on that." Loki said, springing up, catching Arlene's hand and planting a courtly kiss on it. "I hope you had a most delightful evening. Your children are adorable and Sookie and I would be overjoyed to watch them whenever you would desire." He grabbed Terry's hand and shook it firmly. "We should be going, my dear," he said over his shoulder to me.

I nodded, grabbed my coat and purse and headed for the door. "Mikey ate about three hours ago, but we just got him down. I'd let him sleep a bit if I were you," I told Arlene as I followed Loki out the door. Once we got into the car, I said, "You know, she going to make good on that offer."

"My dear, I'm counting on it. Now, let us get back to your house," and he winked when I looked over at him.

It was a short ride home and I didn't know what to say. We walked up to the house, hand in hand. Then, I noticed that the lights were on in my living room.

"Oh, no."

"What is wrong, my dear?"

"There's someone in the house."

* * *

**Author's Note – I really, really recommend going on a baby-sitting date with your significant other if you start to get serious. It's a great way to see how they deal with stress and also, if you are thinking of kids sometime in the future, how they deal with the demands of childcare.**


	14. Chapter 14

Ch. 14

Sitting on my couch, like he owned the place, was Eric.

"Eric, why are you here?" The question came out harsher than I intended.

"Northman," Loki hissed.

"Loki," Eric said, his fangs snapping down. "Wait, are you wearing my clothes?"

Crap. They knew each other; this couldn't end well.

"This is the Eric you have been mooning about? You would rather fornicate with this monstrosity than be my wife?" I could see Loki getting more and more agitated.

"His wife?" Eric demanded as he sprang to his feet with inhuman speed.

I stood between them, arms out, trying to diffuse the situation. "Yeah, well, Loki tried to force me to marry him, but I convinced him to go to the fairy realm and find his birth mother instead." Okay, even to my ears that sounded a little lame.

"Sookie, this is the monster that I told you about. I came upon him and his maker terrorizing a village. He plucked a child from a mother's arms and feasted on it in front of her dying eyes." Loki looked at me earnestly.

"Eric!" I looked over at him.

"I was young, newly turned. I was desperately hungry." The words rang false.

"You and your maker had already killed half the village. You were doing it for fun. Shall I show her what you did? I could, you know."

Loki's magic began to swirl around the room and all of a sudden I saw a shadowy illusion. I saw Eric, drenched in blood, holding a small child. I could hear a mother screaming.

Eric looked away and, in that moment, I felt my world shift. I knew that Eric had once been an unrepentant killer, but for the first time, I felt it in my heart.

"Go, Eric. Just go."

"Sookie, listen to me . . . "

"I rescind your invitation."

And the unseen force that governs all vampires forced him, clawing and screaming out of my house. I could hear him ranting and raving outside for a minute and then, silence.

I broke down. I just dissolved into tears. Loki hugged me as we sat on the couch. I felt my body shake in sorrow. I ended up with my head in his lap as he smoothed my hair and murmured while my chest heaved in sobs.

I had truly loved Eric, but I knew now that I was denying a part of what he really was. He wasn't just a cold, calculated killer who did it only when necessary. He enjoyed it.


	15. Chapter 15

Ch. 15

I awoke and realized Loki was still stroking my hair. I had that hollow wrung out feeling that always appears after a good cry. The stiffness in my back attested to the fact I had been there all night. I looked up at him and felt embarrassed somehow. I sat up and faced him.

"Sorry, I didn't want to have you see me fall to pieces like that."

"It is I who must apologize, my dear. I am sorry for everything." Loki took a deep breath.

I was about to object when he held up a hand. "Please, just let me speak. When I found out I was Jotun, I grieved, not only for the lies that I was told, but for the future that I believed was stolen from me. For who could love a monster? Who would love, marry, have children with a monster? When I met you, and found out about your past history with the vampires, I thought, there it is, my last, best chance at happiness. But, I could never believe that you would come to me willingly. So, I did as I always did. I lied; I schemed; I tricked you. But the truth is I was almost glad when you found a way out of my trap. I wanted you to want me as I am, who I truly am. And after finding out all of the manipulations you have been put through in your past, I am even sorrier. I have never loved someone as I love you, yet I fear that I have destroyed any chance for you to love me back."

Then, for the first time since his interrogation, Loki opened his mind to me. A wave of love came crashing down on me. I almost couldn't breathe from the intensity of it.

"I know you have no desire to live in a gilded cage. I know that you love your life here. And, to be honest, I can see why you love this place and these people. Would you ever consider a compromise? Once you are immortal, we can live here for decades on end, visiting Asgard or any of the other realms whenever we please. I once thought my only happiness would be in ruling a realm. I now know that I have no happiness apart from you."

"Will you marry me?" he asked, kneeling in front of me on one knee.

So, once again, a prince proposed to me. This time, however, I said yes.

* * *

**Author's note- I know that this was another short chapter, but the next chapter is the epilogue, full of wedding goodness. Also, one of my favorite characters ever crashes the wedding. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Ch. 16**

**Epilogue**

**Wedding in Bon Temps**

* * *

When Loki first met my brother, Jason, the day after he proposed, he tried to introduce himself as the "God of Mischief". I took him aside and let him know he was in the deep South and we didn't put up with talk like that. I made him attend church with me four Sundays in a row after that so that he understood where I came from.

I decided that I wanted to get married in Bon Temps before our big double ceremony with Thor and Jane in Asgard. Although I was sure that the Asgardian ceremony would be opulent and over the top, I wanted something sweet and simple at home first.

Our wedding in Bon Temps took place outside in the sun at Loki's insistence. He really didn't want any vampires showing up unannounced. Outdoor weddings during the fall can be a little tricky, but the weather was perfect; sunny, but not too warm. We decided to have it in our own backyard. Getting catering and the pastor on such short notice was a trial, but Loki told me had already waited a thousand years for me and he didn't want to wait a minute more than he had to.

Almost all of Bon Temps was crowded in our backyard. I decided that one of the perks of marrying a prince was that I didn't have to scrimp on the invite list. There was a table laden down with gifts in the corner of the yard. Bill had his daytime helper bring over a wrapped gift. Bubba had even sung Loki and me a special song last night after we got back from the rehearsal dinner. I didn't even get a card from either Eric or Pam, but I could understand it. Some of Loki's fairy cousins were sitting on the groom's side of the aisle, trying to blend in with the humans and failing miserably. My great-grandfather Niall was there, too. Loki's relatives had been able to rescue him after all. He wanted to walk me down the aisle, but that honor went to Jason.

I peeked out of the back door and saw that next to a decorated arch covered in exotic flowers, Loki was standing with Thor. Thor looked uncomfortable in his rented tux and I could tell he was trying not to fidget. Loki looked amazing, but I was fairly sure that he had just conjured himself a designer tuxedo with an adorable green bow tie. On my side were Tara and Arlene, wearing long green silk dresses. I could have had a few more bridesmaids, including Jane, Thor's fiancée, but Loki put his foot down and told me that he wasn't going to have a "gaggle of strangers" as his groomsmen.

So, to keep the numbers even, Jane sat in the first row. I was really glad to have met her. It was nice to know that I was going to have a "normal" sister-in-law who could help me as I transitioned to living on Asgard, even if it was only part-time. Normally, I wouldn't seem to have too much in common with someone with a doctorate in astrophysics, but she was truly kind and thoughtful and I could see why Thor was enamored with her.

Frigga and Odin didn't want to leave the kingdom without any leadership, so they were absent. However, they did provide a huge amount of truly delicious mead that we told the caterer was a type of fancy hard ale from California. They also donated literally bushels of the most beautiful exotic green flowers I had ever seen. My bouquet was so heavy that I nearly fell over.

My dress was white with seeded pearls. It had a full silk skirt and a corset type bodice. I knew Loki would love it. Instead of something blue, I wore a green emerald necklace that Loki gave me as an engagement gift. It seemed appropriate.

Jason walked me down the aisle, whispering in my ear that I looked beautiful. I smiled. We'd been through our ups and downs, but I truly loved him so much. When we reached the pastor, he gave me a peck on the check and stood up by Thor as the second groomsman.

The pastor smiled at us. "There is no greater privilege that a pastor has than to join two lives together. I have spoken to both Sookie and Loki and I know that they are eager to commit their lives to one another. In the Bible, we, the church, are described as the bride and Christ, as the bridegroom. It is that only that type of sacrificial love that truly endures forever."

"Do you, Loki Odinson, promise to love, honor and cherish Sookie for the rest of your life?"

I was so happy that Loki had decided to use his adoptive father's name again. Although there was still lingering doubt and insecurities that still plagued their relationship, I knew that a lot of healing had taken place.

The rest of the wedding was a blur.

Then, I heard, "Under the laws of the state of Louisiana, I now pronounce you husband and wife. What the Lord has joined together, let no man tear asunder. You may now kiss the bride."

Our kiss lasted so long that I could hear a few of the "good ol boys" in the back hooping and hollering, and I just didn't care.

When we came up for breath, the pastor gave us wink.

"It is my joy to present Mr. and Mrs. Odinson."

As we turned to face all of my friends and family, I could feel tears well up in my eyes. I couldn't ever remember feeling so happy.

000000

The reception started almost as soon as we walked back down the aisle. The caterer had everyone start on some heated appetizers as we finished up all the bridal party photos with the photographers. My feet were aching a bit in my heels, so I decided to run back in the house to change into my white flats for dancing. Once I got inside the house, I heard a car screeching up my driveway.

I opened my front door to see who was coming up to the porch.

"Nice car, Agent Coulson."

"Thanks, her name is Lola. Miss Stackhouse, I came here to remind you that you are still technically in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s employ."

"If that's true, you guys owe me a heck of a lot of back pay. You know, you just crashed my wedding. And, the name is now Mrs. Odinson."

"Sorry, I bought you a blender," he said dryly as he handed me a gift wrapped package and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I thought you died," I said waving him inside and leading him through the house and out to the backyard.

"I was only mostly dead."

Leave it to him to know my favorite movie.

Once we got to the party and I'd deposited his present on the gift table, Agent Coulson stopped and looked down at me, "You know, the Earth still needs you. Every day, there are new threats. Now that you've 'leveled up' as they say, both you and your new husband could be a big help."

Both Jane and I had eaten Lady Idunn's apples as soon as we got officially engaged. I guess both Thor and Loki were eager that their fiancées survived long enough to make it to the altar. I didn't know what all of my new powers entailed, but I felt stronger than even when I had ingested vampire blood.

"First, I want Loki to see you. He's been feeling guilty about you in particular."

"Well, he did skewer me," he said with a smirk.

"It wasn't entirely his fault, but please, let him talk to you," I pled.

"Fine, but I'm counting on you to keep him in line."

I grinned and led him to Loki. His back was turned and I touched his arm. "Honey, there's someone I want you to see."

Loki turned and his gaze fell on Agent Coulson. His eyes narrowed. "I thought you dead."

"Yeah, I get that a lot."

"Agent Coulson, I am truly sorry for what I did to you. I would love to blame my actions entirely on the Tesseract and scepter, but I am sure that there was a moment that I could have resisted and I chose not to. Please forgive me."

Agent Coulson looked uncomfortable. I took a peek in his mind and saw that this was not the reaction he was expecting from Loki.

"I'll forgive you if you will join your wife in protecting our world when we call on you. Because of you, Thanos could be here any minute."

Loki winced at Thanos' name, and then looked over at me with a cocked eyebrow. "What do you say, my dear? Do you fancy becoming a superhero?"

I felt a bit torn. I knew that marrying Loki meant a life that was radically different than I had before, but running around saving the world seemed overwhelming. Then, I took a deep breath and thought of Gran. What would she have said to learn that I was helping people, protecting them?

I took a deep breath and plunged in. "Yes, definitely, but we have a couple more weddings to attend first. And a proper honeymoon. I need a short break before we go on another grand adventure."

"We have the rest of our long, long lives for our adventures. This is when our happily ever after begins," Loki said and pulled me in for a kiss.

* * *

**Author's note - I've had so much fun writing my first fan fic. I hope you all enjoyed it! Please let me know what you thought. Thank you so much for reading my story.**


End file.
